Impact of COVID-19 on dentistry in El Salvador

Abstract

Objective: To report the impact of COVID-19 on dentistry professionals in El Salvador. Methodology: Online cross-sectional survey of 552 Salvadoran dentists in July 2020, using a questionnaire previously validated for use in an international collaborative study. The variables under study were: sociodemographic data; signs/symptoms and involvement by COVID-19; clinical activity during that phase of the pandemic; protective measures adopted; and self-perception of the situation created by COVID-19. Results: 40.07% of the respondents were dentists who owned private clinics. 20.7% were tested for the diagnosis of COVID-19, with a positive result in 1.6%. 35.66% decided to limit their clinical activity by attending emergencies, 60.66% stopped providing services altogether; the main reasons were institutional regulations (50.8%) and insecurity in the face of contagion (46.3%). The most commonly used prevention measures were surface disinfection (64.31%) and hand washing (63.77%). The majority used at least one of the recommended protective measures. 57.1% did not take any course on COVID-19. 83.7% considered the dentistry profession to be at high risk of contagion and 60.9% believed that the risk of transmission in dental practice was greater than going to the supermarket. Conclusions: The study reflects that in the dentistry who underwent COVID-19 testing, there was a low rate of infected persons. The majority did not engage in clinical practice during this period and those who did so applied strict measures of prevention and protection against COVID-19.