Microbiology
Maryam Omidkhoda; Ali Kazemian; Seyedeh Zahra Siadatifar; Athar Nasseri
Abstract
Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for healthcare professionals, particularly in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in infection control measures in dentistry before and during the pandemic among Iranian dentists.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional ...
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Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for healthcare professionals, particularly in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in infection control measures in dentistry before and during the pandemic among Iranian dentists.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2020, and included dental healthcare professionals (DHCPs) practicing dentistry in Iran. Participants completed a web-based survey that included demographic profiles, practice-related details, and information on implemented infection control measures. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using the software SPSS v. 26, and a P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 303 dentists, 200 (66%) of whom practiced specialized dentistry and 103 (34%) were general dentists, responded to the questionnaire. The majority of participating dentists (85.5%) were aware of the importance of patient screening for COVID-19 symptoms. There was a statistically significant rise in adherence to hand hygiene practices. The utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, masks, and face shields also exhibited significant increases amid the pandemic. Dentists shifted from using surgical masks to N95 respirators (p=0.05) and white coats to disposable gowns (p<0.001). We noted a significantly greater tendency towards adopting air ventilation systems, surface disinfection and prescribing preprocedural mouth rinses among DHCPs.Conclusion: The study findings indicate increased compliance with infection control protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic among Iranian DHCPs and highlight the modifications made to infection control measures in dentistry.
Arash Farzan; Niki Farrokhi; Kamyar Mansori
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to assess the feedback of patients regarding orthodontic treatment during the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: In this observational study, keywords related to orthodontic treatment along with either “corona” or “COVID” were searched in Twitter ...
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Aim: This study aimed to assess the feedback of patients regarding orthodontic treatment during the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: In this observational study, keywords related to orthodontic treatment along with either “corona” or “COVID” were searched in Twitter during a two-month period from 2 October 2020 to 12 October 2021. The retrieved tweets were categorized into five themes of pain, getting braces, limitations due to COVID-19, seeking information, and delayed treatment based on content, and were then manually categorized into three groups of positive, neutral, and negative tweets. Next, a coding system was designed by the software MAXQDA, and the tweets were coded. Data were analyzed by the analysis feature of MAXQDA.Results: Of a total of 424 tweets retrieved, 95 were excluded. The majority of the tweets were about limitations due to COVID-19 (n=156) and were negative (n=213). Also, the majority of the tweets were posted by female users (67.5%). The most common reason for the negative tweets of patients was delayed treatment (43.9%). Also, poor performance of orthodontic clinics and orthodontists with regard to informing and reassuring the patients about protective measures was another reason for the negative tweets of patients (12.5%).Conclusion: Delayed treatment was the most common cause of patient dissatisfaction followed by poor awareness and reassurance of patients regarding adherence to the preventive measures and hygienic protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microbiology
Arezoo Jahanbin; Mostafa Entezari; Erfan Bardideh
Abstract
Aim: Droplets and aerosols are the main source of transmission and rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide. Topical mouthwashes and oronasal irrigation are recommended as ways of preventing airborne transmission to health care professionals. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the changes of COVID 19 viral ...
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Aim: Droplets and aerosols are the main source of transmission and rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide. Topical mouthwashes and oronasal irrigation are recommended as ways of preventing airborne transmission to health care professionals. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the changes of COVID 19 viral load after administration of different mouthwashes.Methods: An electronic search was undertaken including the following databases: Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. Search for grey literature, and hand search for relevant studies was also performed. The quality of included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were assessed using the Cochrane Collaborations. Afterward, the relevant data from the included studies was extracted. Inverse-variance random-effects meta-analysis was performed to compare the effects of different types of mouthwashes on COVID viral presence.Results: After screening 1437 studies, 10 randomized clinical trials were finally selected. A total of 884 patients were assessed in these studies. The meta-analysis revealed the Cyclic Threshold (CT) values increased after the use of mouthwashes (MD=2.00, 95%CI= 0.51, 3.49, P<0.05). Considering the CT values are inversely correlated to the viral load, the result means the use of mouthwashes decreases the viral load in the saliva. This study also showed that increase of CT values was statistically significant for Povidone Iodine mouthwash (MD=4.08, 95%CI= 0.13, 8.02, P<0.05); however, Cetylpyridinium Chloride and Chlorhexidine Gluconate mouthwashes non-significantly (P value>0.05) reduced viral load in the saliva of patients with COVID 19.Conclusion: According to the result of this study, the use of mouthwashes reduces the viral load of saliva in patients with COVID 19. In addition to basic precautions for preventing the transmission of COVID 19, using mouthwashes may be a reasonable way to decrease the risk of disease transmission to medical staff.
