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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · European Dental Research and Biomaterials Journal 2020; 1(02): 57-63
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721621
Research Article

Knowledge and Response of Iraqi People on Future Health Care Changes and Visiting Dental Clinics during and after COVID-19

Dler Ali Khursheed
1   Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
,
Aras Maruf Rauf
2   Department of Pedodontics, Orthodontics and Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
,
Fadil Abdullah Kareem
2   Department of Pedodontics, Orthodontics and Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
,
Arass Jalal Noori
2   Department of Pedodontics, Orthodontics and Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
,
Mohammed Abdalla Mahmood
3   Department of Dental Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
,
Rukhosh Hassan Abdalrahim
3   Department of Dental Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
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Abstract

Objectives This article aimed to find out Iraqi people’s opinions on possible dental health care changes and their knowledge, attitude, and expectation toward infection controls in dental settings during and after the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Materials and Methods Different questions were presented regarding possible health care system changes, to gather people’s opinions concerning patients, dentists, and dental clinic tests for contagious viral infections, their history of vaccination, and their readiness to get vaccinated, and finally, how they would feel about visiting their local dental clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic if they faced dental problems.

Results Generally, 69% of the respondents believed that the health care system will change in Iraq. A higher percentage of health care workers than nonhealth workers had been vaccinated against hepatitis virus and approximately equal numbers indicated their readiness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and other contagious viral diseases. Additionally, a higher percentage of health care workers than Non health care workers expressed fear of contracting the infection from dental clinics and the relation was significant. More than two-thirds of respondents stated their inability to visit a dentist because all the dental clinics are closed, and they cannot find a trusted dental clinic. Likewise, the majority preferred to wait until after the outbreak or when the government provides strict control measures and guidelines for dental clinics.

Conclusion There was a common belief that the health care system will change after COVID-19 in Iraq. All agreed that dental clinics and the population should be protected against microbial cross-transmission through appropriate infection control measures and vaccination. Future health care changes should include public health education and dental health care personnel training.

Keywords

health care system - dental clinics - vaccination - COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 - Iraq


Publication History

Article published online:
01 October 2021

© 2020. European Dental Research and Biomaterials Journal. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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