Purpose: The risk of acquiring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among dental professionals is high because they are exposed to aerosol production and body fluids during dental procedures. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the level of awareness among the dental students regarding COVID-19.
Materials and methods: An online cross-sectional questionnaire with three sections (knowledge, attitudes, practice) was completed by 412 postgraduate and undergraduate dental students and interns from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.
Results: The overall mean survey score was 9.56±1.19 out of 15. A mean score of 2.31±0.32 was recorded for level of knowledge among the dental professionals that indicated a fair level of knowledge among the participants. Similarly, a mean score of 6.5±0.45 was recorded for attitude of dental professionals towards COVID-19 that indicated a moderate level of attitude. "Novel COVID-19 virus transmits through droplets," and "masks should be worn most of the time to prevent infection spread," had the lowest correct answer rates. The practice had a low mean score of 0.81±0.22. The results depicted statistically significant differences in knowledge, with postgraduate students having the highest mean scores, followed by interns and undergraduate students.
Conclusion: Despite attaining fair scores on knowledge and attitudes, the low practice scores highlight the need for urgent strategies to prevent infection among dental students, including mandatory crash courses and hands-on protection measures.
Keywords: COVID-19; attitudes; dental students; knowledge; practice.
© 2020 Al Jasser et al.