Aim and objective: This study evaluated the repercussions of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Brazilian dentists' personal and professional routines.
Materials and methods: Brazilian dentists were invited to participate in an online survey with questions pertaining to COVID-19 and its repercussions in dental practice. Sample calculation was performed using the Survey Monkey software (www.surveymonkey.com). The minimum sample required to obtain a 95% confidence level (CI) and 1% margin of error was 4,214. The eligibility criteria were dental professionals, of any gender and age, who were working in dentistry in a public, private, or university environment, regardless of the time of experience in the profession, and agreed to participate in the study. The survey was structured such that all the Brazilian regions were touched upon, thereby aiming at covering and collecting the representative data of the region. Responses were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance, with statistical significance at p <0.05.
Results: A total of 15,813 dentists responded to the survey, representing all Brazilian regions. Complete social isolation was practiced by 96.21% of the respondents, and approximately 25% knew someone who had contracted COVID-19. Public health specialists were the most likely to provide emergency treatment (71.90%, p <0.001). In the Northeast region, 79.80% of respondents agreed that conventional personal protective equipment (PPE) was insufficient to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and 79.10% considered their biosecurity measures insufficient (p <0.001). In the North region, most dentists continued to perform elective dental procedures (p <0.001).
Conclusion: It is possible to conclude that Brazilian dentists demonstrated high knowledge of COVID-19's main symptoms and the risks of transmission through dental procedures. Most respondents practiced social isolation, although some did continue to provide emergency dental care.
Clinical significance: To improve infection control in dental care settings against COVID-19, it is necessary to educate and raise awareness among professionals. How to cite this article: Candeiro GTM, Neri JR, Carvalho BMDF, et al. Repercussions of COVID-19 in Brazilian Dentists' Personal and Professional Routines: An Online Survey. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):491-500.
Keywords: Coronavirus infections; Dentists Pandemics..