Dental care during COVID-19 pandemic: Follow-up survey of experts' opinion

Objectives: The purpose of the present survey is to give an update of European experts' opinion on infection control and prevention in dentistry during second wave of pandemic. The secondary aim was to analyze how experts' opinion changed in the light of the new scientific evidence since the first wave. Material & Methods: An anonymous online 14-item questionnaire was sent to a total of 27 leading academic experts in Oral (and Maxillofacial) Surgery from different European countries, who had completed a previous survey in April-May 2020. The questionnaire covered the topics of dental setting safety, personal protective equipment (PPE), and patient-related measures to minimize transmission risk. Data collection took place in November-February 2020/21. Results: 26 experts participated in the follow-up survey. The overall transmission risk in dental settings was scored significantly lower compared to the initial survey (p <.05), though the risk associated with aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) was still considered to be high. Maximum PPE was less frequently recommended for non-AGP (p <.05), whereas the majority of experts still recommended FFP2/FFP3 masks (80.8%), face shields or goggles (88.5%), gowns (61.5%), and caps (57.7%) for AGP. Most of the experts also found mouth rinse relevant (73.1%) and reported to be using it prior to treatment (76.9%). No uniform opinion was found regarding the relevance of COVID-19 testing of staff and patients. Conclusion: With the continuation of dental care provision, transmission risk has been scored lower compared to the first wave of pandemic. However, high risk is still assumed for AGP, and maximum PPE remained advised for the respective treatments.