Post-COVID-19 and Clinical Periodontal Treatment: Assessment of Knowledge and Health Risk Perception among UiTM Dental Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/cos.v13i2.10939Keywords:
COVID-19, periodontal therapy, dental students, knowledge, attitude and practiceAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on healthcare professionals, including dental students who are at risk of contracting and spreading the virus, particularly in providing clinical periodontal treatment to patients. Thus, it is crucial to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and health risk perception towards COVID-19 among UiTM dental undergraduates in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study utilized the online method of GoogleForms. The questionnaire is adapted from a set of validated questionnaires from previous studies with some new questions validated to the Malaysian population. The inclusion criteria were Dental undergraduate students in UiTM Sungai Buloh from Year 1 to Year 5. Data was obtained from 396 undergraduates consisted of 41.67% preclinical and 58.33% clinical students. More than half (59.84%) students agree that dentists are more exposed to risk of COVID-19 infection than other health professionals. The mean score of the knowledge across academic years ranges from 67.58% to 78.17%. One third (31%) of clinical year students highly recommended the use of hand instruments during emergency dental treatment of COVID-19 patients. Regarding the perceived importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), participants reported that the use of disposable gowns (89.07%), surgical masks (79.41%), N95 masks (70.16%), and double gloves (57.98%) helped them feel safe when treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, UiTM dental students were adequately informed regarding the clinical features of COVID-19 and its implication towards the delivery of clinical periodontal treatment regardless of their age, gender and academic years.
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