Knowledge, Attitude and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Infection Control: A Cross-Sectional Study among Dentists in Bangalore City, India

Objectives: The dental profession is one of the occupations at the highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection because of the involvement of aerosol-generating procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dentists regarding COVID19 infection control in Bangalore city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists in Bangalore city using an online questionnaire. The questions were related to socio-demographic data and the knowledge, attitude and perceptions of the dentists towards COVID-19 and infection control during dental practice. A sample size of 254 dentists was obtained after duration of 2 months. Descriptive statistics were performed and the data obtained were presented in the form of graphs and tables Results: The study included 254 participants (188 females and 66 males) majority of whom belonged to an age group of < 30 years (78.3%). A total of 209 (83.3%) of the study participants have completed a master’s degree in dentistry. Among 254 dentists, 141 (55.5%) of them had received training regarding infection control in dentistry while only 102 (40.2 %) of them had attended any training regarding COVID-19. Majority of the dentists were aware about the symptoms, modes of transmission, diagnosis, risk identification and important measures for prevention of COVID-19 transmission. Most of the dentists perceived COVID-19 as a serious public health issue (85.4%). Conclusions: The study has shown an acceptable level of awareness and preparedness among the dentists working in Bangalore city considering the aim of the study. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection is a novel disease and is yet to be fully explored. Adequate research has to be carried out to shed light on the unexplored areas regarding COVID-19 and infection control.