Adequacy of dental services in Paraná during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify adjustments regarding the use of Personal Protective Equipment and the organization of the work process in outpatient dental care in Paraná during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The convenience sample included 1,105 oral health professionals (dental surgeons, oral health assistants, and dental hygienists) during the first year of the pandemic (August to October, 2020). An online form (Google Forms®) was sent by email by the Regional Council of Dentistry. COVID-19’s measures were compared between the types of dental services: ‘outpatient clinic of the Unified Health System – SUS’ (Primary Care, Dental Specialty Center, and Emergency Care), ‘private clinic’ and ‘other services’ (Sistema S, security forces, trade union, public and private hospitals, and teaching clinics). Professionals from SUS outpatient services reported more frequently: that they suspended elective care, avoided generating aerosols, and worked four-handed. Professionals from ‘private clinics’ used teleorientation and telemonitoring more regularly. In the ‘other services’, there was a more significant proportion reduction in work hours and handpieces autoclaving after each service. It is concluded that, despite the high adequacy of the measures to combat COVID-19, there was a difference in professional practice among the different types of dental services.

KEYWORDS
Containment of biohazards; Occupational diseases; Ambulatory care; Practice patterns, dentists’; Dental health services