scholarly journals KNOWLEDGE OF HIV/AIDS AND COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG DENTAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Vaishnavi Seetharaman ◽  
Rajvikram. N ◽  
Bharath Marlecha. R ◽  
Nandhini G. Ashok

Background: Within a century, COVID-19 is the 9th pandemic to worst hit the entire globe. The dental professionals are directly involved while treating patients in an aerosolized atmosphere. Aim: To assess the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemic among dental undergraduate students Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a web-based survey instrument (google forms). A total of 366 dental undergraduate students of TMDCH, Chennai participated in the survey. Data obtained was analyzed using SPPS IBM Software. Results: The knowledge on COVID-19 was better than HIV/AIDS, among the dental undergraduate students. Only 25.7% of the respondents had a previous experience of handling HIV positive case and just more than half (56.3%) of the students were willing to treat HIV patient. Mere 25.7% agreed that HIV is a pandemic. For the COVID-19, only 45.6% of the students were confident to treat a positive/suspected patient and just 17.2% knew the types of corona virus. Knowledge on other questions asked was adequate. Dilemma prevailed if COVID-19 could cause diabetes and was air-borne. Conclusion: There has to be an immediate intervention of the dental institutions to raise awareness on pandemics and their protocols while treatment of the patient among dental students through continuing education programs.

Author(s):  
Aarthi Muthukumar ◽  
Revathi Duraisamy ◽  
Dhanraj Ganapathy

Nanotechnology is widely used in day to day life including its use in medicine. Using nanotechnology it is easy to analyse the atoms , chemical bonds and molecules present between various compounds. Use of nanoparticles in the field of dentistry is called nano dentistry. Chemical, physical and biological aspects of nanoparticles should be taken into account while choosing nanoparticles for the use in the field of nano dentistry. Nanoparticles are used in innovations of dentistry. Nano materials can be used for preventing and curing oral diseases such as oral cancer and to maintain oral health care. This study aims at evaluating knowledge and awareness of nanoparticles incorporated in dental materials among undergraduate dental students. A questionnaire with a set of 9 questions to assess the students knowledge and awareness about nanoparticles incorporation in dental materials. The sample size of 99 participants of dental students of Saveetha Dental College were selected by a simple random sampling method. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire in an online site called survey planet. The results were collected and statistically analysed. Chi square test was done and it was found that 71% of the participants were aware about the use of nanoparticles in dental materials, even though it is statistically not significant (p value- 0.436), 73% of respondents were aware about nanoparticle incorporation in impression materials with p value 0.449 (not significant) and 72% were aware about use of nanomaterials in titanium implants(p value-0.340). Within the limitations of the study, it can be observed that the undergraduate students at the Faculty of Dentistry of Saveetha were well aware about the use of nanoparticles in dental materials.


Author(s):  
Russell Kabir ◽  
Samia Naz Isha ◽  
Mohammad Tawfique Hossain Chowdhury ◽  
Nazeeba Siddika ◽  
Shah Saif Jahan ◽  
...  

Background: Bangladesh has been attracting international students with interests in various subjects recently. Every year students from different parts of the world come to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mostly at private universities in Bangladesh. This study evaluates the depression status among international students who are studying dentistry in Bangladesh. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among International undergraduate dental students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in nine public and private dental colleges in Bangladesh. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. A total of 206 students completed the survey where 78.5% of them were female students and 21.5% students were male, and a CES-D 10-item Likert scale questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha for the 10-item CES-D scale for this population is 0.812. Results: The majority of the students (79.5%) are below 24 years of age with a mean age of 23.22 years and standard deviation of 2.3, and are students who cannot communicate well in Bengali (Bangla), about 60% of them have experienced depression. About 77.3% (p < 0.00) of the international students having financial difficulties exhibited depression. The international students who went through financial problems were two times more likely to suffer from depression (OR = 2.38; p-value < 0.01). Conclusion: This study tried to highlight the struggles faced by international students in Bangladesh studying dentistry. It is evident from the findings that several factors influence students’ mental well-being during demanding dental education years.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 574
Author(s):  
Kavita Batra ◽  
Yashashri Urankar ◽  
Ravi Batra ◽  
Aaron F. Gomes ◽  
Meru S ◽  
...  

Objective: This study’s objective was to examine the knowledge, performance in practicing protective behaviors, and risk perception of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) among dental students of India. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from 10–30 August 2020, involving 381 dental students that were enrolled at the Uttaranchal Dental and Medical Research Institute in India. A web-based structured questionnaire assessed the COVID-19 related knowledge, protective behaviors, and risk perception performance. The independent-samples-t and analysis of variance tests were used to analyze the differences in knowledge, protective behaviors, and perception across the groups. Results: Of the dental students surveyed, 83% had adequate knowledge of COVID-19, and nearly 80% followed appropriate practices regarding COVID-19. The COVID-19 related risk perception was higher among females as compared to males. COVID-19 related knowledge was significantly correlated with preventive behaviors (r = 0.18; p < 0·01) and risk perception (r = 0.10; p < 0.05). We found a high score of COVID-19 related knowledge and precautionary behaviors and moderate risk perception among students. Conclusions: Knowledge and protective behaviors towards infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, have clinical applications in developing educational and formal training programs to promote adherence to the infection control practices among dental students. Clinical significance: The findings of this study will inform policymakers to emphasize on effective risk communication. Dental institutions can incorporate infection control modules in the current curriculum, thereby making future dental professionals capable of performing effective infection control management in the clinical settings. This is critical in improving their knowledge of infection control practices to minimize the risk of nosocomial infections.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Igreja ◽  
Katy Barros ◽  
Rosa Teodosio

Introduction: Anti-vaccination movements exist in Europe and it may reduce adherence to international vaccination.Objectives:To evaluate attitudes on vaccination among Portuguese travelers and Brazilian migrants in Portugal.Material and Methods:Between May and June 2019 a cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Travel Clinic of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of Lisbon. A self-administered questionnaire was applied after medical consultation. Travelers were asked about their attitudes to vaccines. An anonymous web-based survey was sent to Brazilian migrants living in Portugal for at least 6 months.Results: 55 Portuguese (P) travelers and 22 Brazilian (B) migrants answered the questionnaire. 47.3% of Portuguese travelers were male; the mean age was 33 years; reason for travel: tourism (43.6%) or business (30.9%). 31.8% of Brazilian migrants were male and the mean age was 44 years; 71.4% were living in Portugal for ≤ 2 years. Attitudes towards vaccines: 64.8% P and 68.2% B prefer to vaccine even when the risk of acquire a disease is low; 64.1% P and 95.5% B consider that the resistance acquired by disease is better than resistance acquired by vaccine; 75.5% P and 77.3% B prefer to vaccine even when diseases are not severe; 5.6% P and 13.6% B don’t take vaccines because they are afraid of side effects.About the reasons to accept a vaccine, travelers/migrants consider very important to trust in the doctor (100% P, 95.4% B), and the excellent protective effect of a vaccine (98.1% P, 90.9% B).Conclusions: Portuguese travelers and Brazilian migrants in Portugal seem to have a favorable attitude towards vaccination, despite the anti-vaccination movements in Europe. They believe that trust in the doctor and excellent protection of the vaccines are reasons to accept it. The quality of traveler's advice may maintain/increase adherence to vaccination. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. OR1-OR6
Author(s):  
Swati Pathak ◽  
Shivalingesh KK ◽  
Henna Mir ◽  
Divya Srivastava ◽  
Adeeba Saleem ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: In India, the percentage of deaths caused by tobacco smoking is anticipated to rise from 1.4 percent in 1990 to 13.3 percent by 2020.Health care experts have done their best to persuade and counsel users to quit the habit through their collaborative efforts. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: Assessment of dentistry students' attitudes and practices concerning tobacco cessation strategies, as well as the role of information in their promotion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was carried out at the Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly among the dental professionals, i.e. final year, interns, postgraduates students. The questionnaire was designed to test the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental students regarding tobacco use. The self-administered survey included a set of questions. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test had been used to test associations between their responses among age, qualification, and academic year using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22. RESULTS: A total of 300 surveys were sent out, with a 96.39 percent response rate. There were 54 percent females and 46 percent males among the 250 participants. Approximately 68 percent of people were between the ages of 20 and 23. In the current study, 32.4 percent were seeking MDS and 67.6 percent were pursuing BDS. Nearly half of those prefer to prescribe nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a cigarette cessation recommendation to patients, followed by self-quitting at 48% and pharmaceutical approaches at 1.2 percent. DISCUSSION: More than half of the respondents had an average level of awareness of smoking cessation therapies, and the majority of them had a favorable attitude toward their provision. As a result, it is important to persuade students to develop an interest in learning about tobacco quitting strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Saqib Ali ◽  
◽  
Saman Tauqir ◽  
Beenish Fatima Alam ◽  
Faraz Farooqi ◽  
...  

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the understanding and perception of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the undergraduate preclinical and clinical dental students within Pakistan. Material and Methods: An online survey was developed by the researchers and conducted amongst the undergraduate students at various dental colleges of Pakistan. A pretested questionnaire was used and distributed using social media platforms. The questionnaire consisted of demographics, health status, perception related to general hygiene, understanding and learning attitudes of dental students. Knowledge scores and the attitude responses were compared with the demographics using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and chi-square, as appropriate. Results: A total of 800 undergraduate dental students responded to the survey, out of which 304(38%) were males and 496(62%) were female students. Students in pre-clinical years were 600(75%), while 200(25%) students were in the clinical years. The knowledge of clinical students regarding COVID-19 was statistically higher (4.71/6), compared to the students in pre-clinical years (4.49/6) (p=0.004). Both groups showed adequate knowledge regarding the route of transmission, symptoms and origin of COVID-19, and COVID-19 being a threat to life. Clinical students did not want to re-use the face mask (75%), compared to the preclinical students (68%) (p-0.048). Students in clinical years reported more awareness regarding the recommended hand washing technique during COVID-19 (p-<0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that dental students in clinical years have adequate knowledge regarding the COVID-19 as compared to the preclinical students. The study identifies all areas where preclinical and clinical students lack basic knowledge. This should be compensated by arranging different webinars and online courses to increase the understanding of both clinical and preclinical students during the pandemic.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-24
Author(s):  
HV Amith ◽  
Audrey Madonna D'Cruz ◽  
Venisha Alexander ◽  
Vidhu Antony ◽  
Vinaya Alex ◽  
...  

Objective: HIV-infected patients, with or without knowledge of their own serologic status are seeking dental care in increasing numbers. Dental students are at the risk of exposure to the HIV infections during their clinical training if adequate and stringent infection control measures. The objective of the present study was to assess the level of understanding and awareness of this disease among the third year clinical dental students at a private dental institution in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Materials and methods: A cross sectional survey of 100 third year clinical dental students of Karnataka was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of sociodemographic details, apart from 8 questions on knowledge and 2 questions on attitude towards HIV/AIDS patient. Descriptive analysis was carried out. Results: The response rate was 100%. Majority of students’ knew that AIDS is a disease of immunity. About 78% of the students knew that HIV/ AIDS is transmitted by contaminated blood products. Eighty six percent of the subjects knew which test was done to detect AIDS while others were not quite sure of it. Only 15% answered correctly regarding the percentage risk of transmission of HIV to a health care worker following contaminated needle stick injury. Most of the students were either not aware or not sure about the universal precaution measures to be taken while treating an AIDS patient. Conclusion: The results showed that the third year dental students of Karnataka, India had fair knowledge and good attitude regarding HIV/AIDS. However it did reveal some of the inadequacies and misconceptions regarding the disease among the dental students. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v13i1.14332 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 13 No. 01 January 2014: 20-24


Author(s):  
Russell Kabir ◽  
Samia Naz Isha ◽  
Mohammad Tawfique Hossain Chowdhury ◽  
Nazeeba Siddika ◽  
Shah Saif Jahan ◽  
...  

Background Bangladesh has been attracting international students on various subjects in recent times. Every year students from different parts of the world come to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mostly at private universities in Bangladesh. This study evaluates the depression status among international students who are studying dentistry in Bangladesh. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted among International undergraduate dental students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in nine public and private dental colleges in Bangladesh. A total of 206 students completed the survey, and CES-D 10 items Likert scale questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha for CES-D 10 scale items for this population is 0.812. Results The majority of the students (79.5%) are below 24 years of age, and students who cannot communicate well in Bengali (Bangla), about 60% of them have experienced depression. About 77.3% (p&lt; 0.00) of the international students having financial difficulties exhibited depression. The international students who went through financial problems were two times more likely to suffer from depression (OR=2.38; p-value &lt;0.01). Conclusion This study tried to highlight the struggles faced by international students in Bangladesh studying dentistry. It is evident from the findings that several factors influence students' mental well-being during demanding dental education years.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL3) ◽  
pp. 992-995
Author(s):  
Nithyanandham Masilamani ◽  
Dhanraj Ganapathy

Drug abuse has been a serious medical concern worldwide. Given mortality, substance misuse is still liable for serious illness and also the marketing of illegal substances has a significant effect on the community. This study was conducted to determine the awareness of drug abuse amongst dental college students. A cross-sectional survey was done with a self-administered questionnaire comprising of ten questions pertaining to the awareness about drug abuse. The samples chosen for the study were 100 dental undergraduate students. The responses were collected and analysed.82% of the respondents were aware of the dangerous effects of drug abuse .68% said drug abuse is because of stress,8% said because of peer pressure and 20% said because of family problems and 4% said because of pleasure seeking .76 % feel deaddiction therapy can reduce drug abuse. 5% of the respondents have used some kind of drugs, .85% said they are aware of health risks associated with drug abuse. There is a high level of awareness among dental students regarding the abuse of drugs and associated health risks. However, more intense and wider community outreach programs should be initiated to spread awareness about drug abuse among the general public and the student community.


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