Awareness and knowledge regarding safety measures and disinfection protocols during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic among dental students - A questionnaire survey

Context: The existing situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created enormous pressure and anxiety among dental students practicing in dental institutions. Aim: The aim of this sentence was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of safety measures and disinfection protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic among dental students. Materials and Methods: Institutional ethical committee cleared the questionnaire format for the survey then this Google Forms was forwarded to dental students all over Maharashtra. The questionnaire was divided into four sections: Section A recorded sociodemographic details. Section B recorded knowledge about COVID-19. Section C recorded awareness of measures. Section D recorded awareness of disinfection protocols in the dental setup. Results: A total of 707 dental students from different colleges in Maharashtra participated in the study. A total of 200 postgraduate (PG) students (95.2%) and 458 (92.2%) undergraduate (UG) students correctly marked the incubation period for COVID-19 as 7-14 days. Ninety-nine percent of students are aware of personal protective equipment (PPE) kit to be used while treating patients as well as they are well known for the components of the PPE kit. Most of the PG (93.8%) and UG (82.9%) students understand the need for an oral rinse with mouthwash by the patient before treatment. Awareness and knowledge regarding safety measures and disinfection protocols were adequate among PG students. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges and responsibilities to institutions providing dental education. Upliftment of knowledge can lead to a positive attitude in resuming back to the dental practice in the respective institute.