The pandemic has shaped how people interact with their dentist, reports DentaVox, which posted a series of 31 questions to a hundred people pulled from its audience each day in August.
For example, the poll asked people if they would feel threatened by getting infected with COVID-19 the next time they visit the dentist. According to DentaVox, 58.0% said yes, and 42.0% said no. Other key questions included:
Should dentists have closed their practices during the first COVID-19 wave?
- Yes, except for emergency patients: 52.0%
- Yes, for all treatments: 26.0%
- No: 22.0%
Did dentists in your area offer online consultation during the first COVID-19 wave?
- Yes, some of them: 49.0%
- No: 30.0%
- Yes, all/most of them: 21.0%
Did you personally try an online dental consultation during the first COVID-19 wave?
- No: 67.0%
- Yes: 33.0%
During the first COVID-19 wave, what was the main content on dentists’ social media?
- COVID-19 safety and advice: 75.0%
- I didn’t notice: 11.0%
- General oral health education: 10.0%
- Offers to attract new or more patients: 2.0%
- Other: 2.0%
Did you experience any of the following dental problems for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- Neither: 56.0%
- Dry mouth: 26.0%
- Burning mouth: 6.0%
- Canker sores: 2.0%
Do you personally know someone who tried an online dental consultation during the first COVID-19 wave?
- No: 61.0%
- Yes: 39.0%
Were dentists in your area worried about the survival of their practices during the first COVID-19 wave?
- Yes, about the same as other businesses: 46.0%
- Yes, more than other businesses: 29.0%
- I have no idea: 16.0%
- No: 9.0%
Next time you visit the dentist, how much attention would you pay to the hygiene, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic?
- More than before: 78.0%
- The same: 19.0%
- Less than before: 3.0%
Do you believe that dental practices in your area are properly disinfected before each and every patient?
- Yes, all or most of them: 59.0%
- Yes, some of them: 37.0%
- No: 4.0%
If you cough or feel slightly unwell, would you still go to your scheduled dental appointment?
- Yes, but only if it’s urgent: 31.0%
- Yes, in all cases: 29.0%
- No: 24.0%
- Yes, if it’s not coronavirus: 16.0%
If your dentist doesn’t wear protective equipment (gloves, mask, shield, etc) during treatment, what would you do?
- I will ask them to do it: 79.0%
- I will leave immediately: 14.0%
- I will stay but feel worried: 6.0%
- I will stay without any worries: 1.0%
Which measure is the most effective for dentists to ensure that no patient with COVID-19 enters their practice?
- Body temperature screening: 50.0%
- Only PCR tests can be effective: 24.0%
- Preliminary health condition questions: 21.0%
- Neither: 3.0%
- Dentists should trust patients’ self-awareness: 2.0%
If your dentist picks up the phone and then continues treating you without washing their hands or changing their gloves, what would you do?
- I will ask them to do it: 66.0%
- I will leave immediately: 16.0%
- I will stay but feel worried: 15.0%
- I will stay without any worries: 3.0%
Do dental practices in your area offer contactless payments via card, mobile, or crypto?
- Yes, some of them: 45.0%
- Yes, all or most of them: 36.0%
- No: 19.0%
Next time you go to the dentist, would you prefer contactless payments to reduce the risk of COVID-19?
- Yes: 89.0%
- No: 11.0%
In your opinion, what did dentists fear more during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- Getting infected by patients: 75.0%
- Infecting patients: 16.0%
- Neither: 9.0%
In your opinion, what did dentists fear more during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- Infection: 75.0%
- Bankruptcy: 23.0%
- Neither: 2.0%
What dental innovation could be most useful during epidemics and pandemics?
- Self-diagnostic devices: 36.0%
- Mobile dentistry: 35.0%
- Teledentistry: 24.0%
- Neither: 5.0%
Should dentists switch to online consultations during epidemics and pandemics?
- Yes, completely: 51.0%
- Yes, but only partly: 46.0%
- No: 3.0%
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