Practicing dentistry in the age of COVID-19: Perception changes due to the new PPE standards

Purpose/objectives: This study aimed to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) have affected the perception of the practice of dentistry in an urban dental school in the USA.

Methods: In 2021, an electronic cross-sectional questionnaire was sent to school faculty via email, while predoctoral, clinical dental students were invited to participate during clinical group meetings. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Sixty-six faculty and 209 students completed the questionnaire (n = 275, response rate = 39%). The faculty self-identified into two groups: dentists who only teach (teaching faculty, n = 33) and dentists who teach and also work in outside clinics (practicing faculty, n = 33). Practicing faculty (45.5%) were significantly more pessimistic about the future of dentistry than the other two groups. Students were the least concerned with treating COVID-19 patients compared to other groups and only 15.8% of students reported a change in enthusiasm toward dentistry. Practicing faculty did not feel that extra PPE presented a physical challenge. Teaching faculty were least alarmed by extra PPE and least concerned about PPE increasing patient stress. More faculty were in favor of vaccination requirements (90.9%) than students (73.7%).

Conclusions: Neither COVID-19 nor the use of extensive PPE negatively affected the participants' perception of the future of dentistry. Most participants felt safe wearing extra PPE during the pandemic but were concerned about the negative environmental effects. Students did not feel strongly that vaccination should be a requirement for clinical dentists and staff.