Knowledge and Perception of Dental Professionals Regarding the Use of Various Safety Protocols During and after Dental Aerosol Procedures in COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to assess the knowledge and perception of safety protocols used before and after dental aerosol procedures among dental professionals. METHODS An online survey was conducted with a self-prepared questionnaire with a sample size of 354 participants consisting of postgraduate students, and dental practitioners who work in private/government institutes/hospitals. The questionnaire was prepared on Google forms and the link was circulated to postgraduate students and dental practitioners via email and WhatsApp platforms. Descriptive statistics analysis was carried out including frequency and percentage. The results of the study were tabulated. RESULTS 94.9 % of the participants performed aerosol-generating procedures, and 76.8 % of the participants used personal protective equipment (PPE) during the procedure. 43.2 % of the participants preferred reusable elastomeric respirators with cartridges. 37.9 % of the participants responded that ventilation is the preferred method. 75.4 % of the participants felt incorrect doffing of the PPE could increase the chances of contracting the coronavirus. 83.3 % of the participants felt using PPE reduces performance and skills during dental aerosol procedures. CONCLUSIONS The present study revealed that 76.8 % of the participants used PPE during aerosol-generating procedures, 54 % and 39.5 % of the participants knew the first procedure in donning and doffing PPE respectively, and 73.7 % of the participants knew which area to doff the PPE in whereas only 48 % knew the correct colour of the bag in which to dispose the PPE and only 49.7 % of the participants knew when to fumigate the aerosol generated surgical area.