Impact of COVID-19 on dental education in the United States

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Abstract

Dental institutions in the United States are reeling from the consequences of the novel SARS-CoV2 coronavirus, the causative agent of CODIV-19. As oral health care providers, we have been trained on prevention of aerosol transmissible diseases, but we are still grappling with many unknown factors regarding COVID-19. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Dental Association (ADA), and local state agencies are releasing updates on guidelines for dentists and patients, no official information exists for dental institutions on how to effectively follow the recommended guidelines including "shelter in place" with social distancing to protect students, faculty, staff, and patients, and still ensure continuity of dental education. This article discusses the challenges that we face currently and offers some simple strategies to bridge the gaps in dental education to overcome this emergency.

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Most cited references 11

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Emerging and Future Challenges for Dental and Oral Medicine

L Meng, F. Hua, Z. Bian (2020)

The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), originating in Wuhan, China, has become a major public health challenge for not only China but also countries around the world. The World Health Organization announced that the outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have constituted a public health emergency of international concern. As of February 26, 2020, COVID-19 has been recognized in 34 countries, with a total of 80,239 laboratory-confirmed cases and 2,700 deaths. Infection control measures are necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the epidemic situation. Due to the characteristics of dental settings, the risk of cross infection can be high between patients and dental practitioners. For dental practices and hospitals in areas that are (potentially) affected with COVID-19, strict and effective infection control protocols are urgently needed. This article, based on our experience and relevant guidelines and research, introduces essential knowledge about COVID-19 and nosocomial infection in dental settings and provides recommended management protocols for dental practitioners and students in (potentially) affected areas.

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Psychological responses to the SARS outbreak in healthcare students in Hong Kong.

E. Y. Chua, Oscar G W Wong, Owen T M Chan … (2004)

This paper reports a cross-sectional questionnaire study that investigated perceived stress and psychological responses to the SARS outbreak in healthcare students at the height of the outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003. Non-healthcare university students served as controls. All the groups reported high levels of perceived stress. Despite being similarly confident in infection control procedures, nursing students were significantly more stressed than medical students, possibly reflecting a perceived higher risk of infection due to more prolonged contact with patients. Non-healthcare students also had high stress levels due to the perceived risks of dying from SARS, reflecting a fear of the unknown. Suitable psychological and occupational support services should be made available in case of future outbreaks.

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Assessment of the awareness level of dental students toward Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus

Mohamed Yasser Kharma, Mohamad Alalwani, Manal Fouad Amer … (2015)

Background: Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in healthcare facilities. Therefore, healthcare workers should be aware of all procedures concerning prevention of and protection from MERS-CoV. Objective: The aim of this study is to improve the knowledge of the dental students and evaluate their awareness about MERS-CoV. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was made according to MOH information and 200 dental students (Al-Farabi Colleges, Jeddah) were interviewed to evaluate their knowledge about MERS-CoV. Results: More than half of the dental students (54%) interviewed had good knowledge about the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of MERS-CoV. Measurements for infection control and protection were also known (79%). The sources of information for the students were: college (27%), MOH (25%), media (24%), and social community (23%), while 17% of the students interviewed had no idea about it. Conclusion: Dental students had good knowledge about MERS-CoV. However, more information still must be provided by MOH and college for the medical staff.