Dentists’ stress level during the COVID-19 pandemic and their opinion on the oral health status of their patients

Abstract

Background and aims. “Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2) is the name of the etiological agent of the pandemic Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) which was declared on March 11, 2020 by the WHO and which affected all countries of the world, including Romania. Our study aimed to evaluate the psycho-affective implications and economic consequences for dentists in Romania during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease) pandemic state of emergency and their opinion on the patients’ oral health impact. Methods. A cross-sectional observational and analytical study based on a questionnaire was conducted. Dentists who work in Romania affiliated in 2020 to the Romanian College of Dental Practitioners was the target population. Results. Three hundred and seventy-three dentists participated in this survey. The age of the respondents ranged from 24 to 70. Men and women have the same expectation regarding the lockdown effect of worsening the oral health of the general population (worst, 79.5% of women and 81.3% of men, P=0.8842). Conclusions. The anxiety regarding the bank rates, supplementary investments, risk of COVID-19 infection and exposure to COVID-19 related mass-media information proved to be significantly higher among young dentists.