Background: Twitter is a powerful platform which could be used to reflect on the demand and supply of dental services during a pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and dissemination of COVID-19 information related to dentistry on Twitter platform Arabic database during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methodology: One hundred and fifty independent searches with a combination of keywords for both COVID-19 and dentistry from a preselected Arabic keyword were carried out for the period from the 2nd of March (first confirmed cases of COVID-19) to the 6th of July 2020. Tweets were filtered to remove duplicate and unrelated tweets. The suitable tweets were 1,150. After calibration, two examiners coded the tweets following two main themes: COVID-19 and oral health-related information. Tweets were then compared with COVID-19 daily events in the Arab countries as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Descriptive analysis was performed to present the overview of the findings using Microsoft Excel.
Results: The most retweeted information was the help with urgent consultation or emergency dental treatment during COVID-19 tweeted by a dentist. There were 673 retweets and 1,116 likes of this tweet. The most common tweets related to oral health were needs of dental treatment (n=462, 39.5%) of which, toothaches or wisdom tooth problems constituted 48% of the related tweets.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is obvious that social media users reacted to the COVID-19 threat to dental practices. Twitter as one of the social media platforms served as a connection between dental health professionals and patients.

Aim

To investigate the dentists’ opinions towards social media (SM) use in daily practice and the expected limitations from its use in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

An electronic survey was carried out throughout May–June 2020 among a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered three parts: the first part covered professional and demographic information, the second part covered the use of mobile phones and SM in dental practice, while the third part assessed dentists’ opinion on SM use. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions and percentages and independent t test/ANOVA test for the relationship between the mean of dentists’ opinion towards SM and demographic variables. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant.

Results

The majority of respondents (80%) believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the selection of a healthcare provider. The mean dentists’ opinion scores on the use of SM were significantly lower among participants working more than 50 h per week compared with other participants (p?=?0.014).

Conclusion

The majority of sampled dentists believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the healthcare provider’s selection. Directed campaigns can help dentists optimize the use of SM for both professional and personal purposes.

Abstract

Background

Dental offices are among the highest risk for transmission of the COVID-19, having the potential to transmit the virus via routine dental procedures. This cross-sectional study assessed the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic by dentists in Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

This online survey addressed the impact and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised 26 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions with percentages. In addition, the significance between the different demographic variables and questions about dentists’ perception of the COVID-19 pandemic was tested using the Chi-square test.

Results

COVID-19 management in dental clinics varied in terms of adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines. Dental clinics’ screening questionnaire for patients showed good adherence (67%), while the lowest agreement was detected with the question on the existence of an airborne infection in the isolation room (15%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents agreed that the dental reception area adopted the proper COVID-19 preventive measures. Greatest accord was observed in their answers on questions about dentists’ perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from 64%–89%. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in questions about the perception of dentists towards the COVID-19 pandemic by different demographic variables such as age and years of work experience (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The response of most dentists regarding the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic was positive. Dental clinics need to adhere more to the MOH recommendations in preparedness of their facilities or by educating their dentists and staff.

Background

Teledentistry is believed to improve dental care provided to patients and time management efficiency. In addition, teledentistry can be a useful tool for peer education, consultations and ensures proper channeling for referrals.

Objective

This study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian dental professionals’ perceptions of teledentistry’s benefits in improving dental practice and patient care.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of Saudi Arabian dental professionals. A validated 26-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess perceptions of dental professionals in four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, the usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice; the potential of teledentistry to improve practice; and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using SPSS software. Significant differences were considered at a p-value of 0.05.

Results

With an overall response rate of 28.6%, 286 dental professionals participated in the study. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teledentistry would improve dental practice through enhancing communication with peers, guidance and referral of new patients. A substantial proportion of respondents (60–70%) expressed uncertainty with technical reliability, privacy and diagnostic accuracy. The participants’ qualification was statistically significant with usefulness of teledentistry for patients (p = 0.027), while work experience in years was statistically significant with both usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice and patients (p = 0.046 and <0.0001 respectively).

Conclusion

Generally, the feedback gained by this study showed readiness of the dental professionals to be engaged in the teledentistry approach. Further investigation of the business model of teledentistry is needed to understand the readiness and challenges. Directed campaign to educate dentists and the public of the technology and it is potential is necessary.

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