Paradigm shift in infection control practices in dental clinics in response to COVID-19 among dental professionals in Thailand

Infection control (IC) practice routines depend mainly on knowledge, perception, and awareness of a disease among dental professionals. However, there has been no report on the perception, awareness, and adaptability to the new practice guidelines of Thai dental professionals (dentists, dental nurses, dental assistants, and dental technicians) to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate how dental professionals in Thailand perceive and are aware of COVID-19, and how they have changed their IC practices in response to the pandemic. Online cross-sectional surveys using convenience sampling during September 2021 were sent to Thai dental professionals. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22.0. The tests were two-tailed, with a significance level of p