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Smoking behavior can have a negative effect on health. It not only causes a systemic effect, but can also cause pathological conditions in the oral cavity. The World Health Organization is pursuing a strategy by replacing the use of conventional cigarettes with electric cigarettes, because they do not contain tar and carbon monoxide compounds, although some evidence says that vaping or e-cigarettes have not been proven safe. This study aims to determine the description of dental and oral hygiene and extrinsic dental stain among e-cigarette smokers in the vaper community in Tasikmalaya City. This was a descriptive study which presents a complete description of the problem under study. The study samples involved 43 respondents. The study used the assessment instruments of OHIS Green and Vermillion index and the extrinsic stain index according to Shaw and Murray. 43 respondents were willing to be examined for the mouth condition. The results of the study showed that 58% of respondents had moderate dental and oral hygiene status. 61% of respondents had moderate level of extrinsic dental stain. It can be concluded that the Vaper community in Tasikmalaya City had a moderate status of oral hygiene and extrinsic dental stain. It is recommended that future researchers can observe a comparison of oral and dental hygiene between conventional smokers and e-cigarette smokers so that it is expected to increase public knowledge about the impact of cigarettes and e-cigarettes on dental hygiene and stain.

Clean hands are hands and as a part of dental clinic infection control measure hand washing by a dental health professional before having contact with a patient’s oral cavity becomes a fundamental duty. Most detergents claim a 99.99% efficacy in killing bacteria however, there is paucity in literature if there will be a microbial growth “in use” detergents. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate bar soap and liquid soap from liquid soap from dental clinics for microbial contamination while it was in use.The study period was 2- month, dentists and dental assistants were the participants of the study. A total of 25 handwashing place samples from 12 different dental clinics were collected. All the test tube samples of bar soap and liquid soap were all transferred to the microbiology laboratory for microbiological analysis. Statistical analysis used: data was analyzed using a one- sample paired t-test and independent students t-test. Results: 6 different microbial species were identified. The abundance of staphylococcus aureus was highest compared to other microorganisms in both soaps. Further, the mean number of microorganisms was found similar (P > 0.05) in liquid soap. Conclusions: the microbial load of a mixed flora of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, aerobes, and fungi were found in both the in-use bar soap and liquid soap. Thus, the results indicate that the bar soap ‘in-use’ condition harbors a greater number of microorganisms as compared to that of liquid soap. Keywords : Bar soap, Dentist, Handwashing, Liquid soap, Microbial load, Soap contamination

Introduction The recent COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the necessity of protecting health care providers (HCPs) against the transmission of infectious agents during dental procedures. To this end, the effectiveness of several air cleaning devices (ACDs) in reducing HCPs exposure to aerosols generated during dental procedures was estimated, separately or in combination with each other. These ACDs were a chairside unit capturing aerosols at the source of generation, and four ambient ACDs: a portable ambient ACD; a negative pressure module; a custom made, fan-operated and wall-mounted air filter (WMAF); and a smaller and passive version of the latter. The last three ACDs were intended for mobile dental clinics (MDCs) only. Materials and Methods This assessment was performed in two different environments: in a dental clinic operatory and in a MDC. Two dental personnel, acting in the roles of dentist and dental assistant, performed on simulated patient aerosol-generating and non-aerosol-generating procedures. For each 5-minute scenario, the cumulative exposure to airborne particulate matter 10 µm in size or smaller (PM10) was determined by calculating the sum of all 1 second readings obtained with personal and ambient air monitors. The effectiveness of the ACDs in capturing PM10 was estimated based on the capability of the ACDs to keep PM10 level at or below the initial background level. Results In all conditions assessed in the dental clinic operatory, when both the chairside and portable ambient ACDs were functioning, an estimated effectiveness of 100% in capturing PM10 was achieved. In the MDC, in all conditions where the chairside ACD was used without the negative pressure module, an estimated effectiveness of 100% was also achieved. The simultaneous operation of the negative pressure module in the MDC, which led to a room negative pressure of −0.25 inch wc, reduced the chairside ACD’s effectiveness in capturing aerosols. Conversely, the use of the WMAF in the MDC in combination with the chairside ACD further reduced exposure to PM10 below the initial background level. Nonetheless, in all conditions assessed in both settings (dental clinic operatory and MDC), larger visible aerosols were produced, often landing on the surrounding environment. A fair portion of these aerosols landed on the inside of the chairside ACD flange. Conclusions This assessment suggests that the use of the tested chairside ACD, by capturing aerosols at the source of generation, had the greatest impact on reducing exposure of dental personnel to PM10 produced during dental procedures. This study also indicates that such exposure is further reduced with the addition of an ambient ACD. However, creating a negative pressure room as high as −0.25 inch wc can lead to air turbulence reducing the effectiveness of ACDs in capturing aerosols at the source. Furthermore, the presence of uncaptured droplets and spatter on the surrounding environment supports the need to complement the use of engineering controls with proper administrative controls and personal protective equipment, as recommended by governmental agencies and the scientific community for preventing the transmission of infection in health care settings.

Healthcare-associated infections are well-studied in the literature, but remain a significant challenge for healthcare workers (HCWs) in dental practice. This type of infection is strongly correlated with the hand route of transmission of infectious agents. Thus, hand hygiene can be considered a crucial element in the prevention and control of infections.The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is an experience of a new human coronavirus infection that has been difficult for HCWs, such as dentists and dental assistants, to control. Handwashing (HW) is a keystone method for the prevention and control of spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).In healthcare settings, contrary to the general consideration of HW as a simple practice, HW is regarded as a specific procedure that should be clearly instructed to HCWs. Handwashing is based on using a correct method and the necessary equipment, and its role should be continually emphasized to reinforce compliance. Proper HW might contribute to avoiding possible cross-infection during healthcare activities, particularly in the pandemic situation.The aim of this article was to report on different HW techniques in medical and dental practice, and appropriate HW equipment to perform this simple but important procedure to prevent cross-infection, particularly during the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Background Emergencies in outpatient clinics are rare. However, potentially catastrophic events can be challenging to manage due to a variety of factors, including limited equipment and staff. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the staff knowledge and familiarity with critical performance elements for emergencies encountered in the setting of a periodontics clinic. Methods Emergency cognitive aids tailored to the clinic's resources were created for anaphylaxis, airway obstruction, and sublingual hemorrhage. The project pre-post-test repeated measures design evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive aids using a combination of hands-on simulation, written knowledge assessments, and self-efficacy surveys. Training sessions and simulations were provided to the clinic's existing care teams made up of a periodontist and two dental assistants with an anesthetist who was present for simulations involving sedation. Due to the small sample size (N = 14) and non-normal distribution, all metrics were evaluated using non-parametric statistics. Results Significant improvements were found in knowledge assessment (-2.310, P = 0.021) and self-efficacy (-2.486, P = 0.013) scores when retention after a training session before and after the introduction of cognitive aid was compared. The mean simulation scores and times improved steadily or reached maximum scores during the project progression. Conclusion Training sessions before and after cognitive aid introduction were effective in improving knowledge, self-efficacy, and simulation performance. Future projects should focus on validating the process for creating contextualized cognitive aids and evaluating the effectiveness of these cognitive aids in larger samples.

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic put a pressure on all healthcare professionals and has affected the delivery of health care services globally. There is a need to understand the impact on different health care professionals in different countries. The aim of the present study was to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic among dental staff in Norway in relation to background characteristics, work situation and preparedness of the service. Methods A structured questionnaire sent electronically to dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants inquired information about the lockdown period in Norway (13 March-17 April 2020). Distributions of background characteristics, perceptions of preparedness and psychological impact were calculated. Exploratory factor analysis was performed, and Structural Equation Models (SEMs) were used to compare psychological impact between dental professionals treating patients versus not during lockdown. Results Among the 1237 respondents, 58.8% worked clinically with patients. The majority were concerned of becoming infected (71.9%), of infecting others (85.4%) and/or of their family becoming infected (76.9%). Respondents who treated patients felt significantly more insecure about whether having become infected or not. The minority felt discriminated (6.7%), worried about death (11.7%), felt that life was threatening (9.8%) or felt loss of control of their lives (8.9%). More than 80% agreed that their workplace handled the situation well. Four factors were retrieved from the factor analysis. SEMs showed that gender and work experience had a significant effect on the factors Instability, Infection and Concerns. Respondents with work experience ≥10 years were less likely to express fear about Instability and Infection. Personnel reporting that their workplace had adequate equipment were also less concerned, however having adequate equipment did not reduce the factor Loss of control. Conclusion The present study showed a considerable psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental personnel in Norway regardless of working clinically with patients or not. However, working with patients increased the insecurity about own infection status and of infecting people close to them. A safe working environment and adequate infection control measures are associated with less fear of infection and feeling of instability.

Objectives: Recently, an increase in the replacement of dental amalgam with other restorations due to its hazards and non-esthetic properties. This study aimed to assess the basic knowledge of dental practitioners, assistants, interns, and students (at the collage of dentistry in king Saud university, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) towards the level of which dental amalgam can be considered hazardous and its proper handling.Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study, Surveys were distributed among dental practitioners, interns, assistants, and students in both campuses of the dental collage at King Saud University (male and female campuses) in Riyadh 2018.Results: Out of 404 responses, dental assistants were significantly higher in knowledge than other groups with regard to mercury-related hazardous issues (p

PURPOSE: To compare the opinion of dentists and dental assistants about the advantagesf teamwork. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted an anonymous survey of 110 dental practitioners and 108 dental assistants in four cities in Bulgaria. The questionnaires for the two groups include several identical questions that allow the respondents' opinions to be compared. The methods used are sociological (poll) and statistical (alternative analysis). RESULTS: The majority of dental assistants - 75% are convinced that every dentist should work with an assistant, while 58.6% of the doctors are of the same opinion. Almost the same number of surveyed doctors and dental assistants - mentioned as a strength of the teamwork a relief of the doctor's work (80.90 and 79.63%), an increase in the volume (68.18 and 57.40%) and quality (53.63 and 54.62%) of the medical activity and a reduction in working time (54.54 and 55.62 %). For dentists, the most important factors for creating a goodeam are observing rights and obligations (68.5%), mutual respect (67.6 %) and a relaxedork atmosphere (56.8%). For dental assistants, the most important factors for effective teamwork are mutual respect (74.1%) and the professionalualities of the dentist (72.2%). CONCLUSION: The results show a positive attitude of dental doctors and assistants to teamwork, albeit with varying degrees of conviction.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to establish the socio-demographic and professional characteristics of the sample of dental assistants and their contributions to the efficiency of dental teamwork. Material and methods: An anonymous inquiry was conducted among 108 dental assistants working in dental offices in 4 Bulgarian cities. The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions about socio-demographic and professional characteristics of the sample and their opinion about obligations, positives and negatives in the workplace, and efficiency of teamwork. The methods used in the survey were sociological (poll) and statistical (alternative analysis). Results: The socio-demographic and professional characteristics of the surveyed dental assistants were established, such as: gender and age distribution, work in active working age/pension, types of working places, location of practices, types of education and number of dentists working with over the period of their work experience. All respondents reported that they assisted the physicians in the treatment process and the majorityf them (70.37- 85.19%) cleaned, disinfected and sterilized the instruments, the workplace and the premises of the practice. Only 4.6% dealt financialelations with the patients and worked directly in their mouths. The opinion of the respondents for building a well-functioning dental team was that both the personal and professional qualities of the team members were essential. Conclusions: Dental assistants were convinced of the benefits of their assistance; between 79.6% and 58.3% of them believed that they had contributed for quicker and better job of the doctor and to patient'somfort.

BACKGROUND: In their practice, health-care professionals are at increased risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, which is particularly high for dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and dental technicians due to close contact with patients and exposure to biological fluids and aerosol/droplets during dental procedures AIM: The purpose of this study is to survey the opinion of dentists and dental technicians about the impact of the state of emergency in Bulgaria related to the COVID-19 epidemic on their practices MATERIALS AND METHODS: A specially developed web-based survey conducted among 49 dentists and dental technicians was used The results were processed with SPSS v 18 at significance level of p < 0 05 RESULTS: A group of 49 dentists and dental technicians were included in the survey Оf them (20 41 ± 5 76) reported that they did not work at all during the state of emergency Relatively, a large number of dentists (81 82 ± 8 22) respond that they have completely changed their patient care protocols The result is similar for dental technicians (77 77 ± 8 00) More than half of the dentists (59 09 ± 10 48) respond that they specifically disinfect the dental impressions, and of the dental technicians (29 63 ± 8 78) say that they insist on this All of the respondents share that they use special protective equipment in their practices CONCLUSION: Although significant progress has been made in controlling COVID-19 and dental clinics and practices are gradually resuming routine patient care, the prevention and control of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission during dental procedures remains a serious challenge © 2021 Tanya Bozhkova, Nina Musurlieva

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become a real challenge for healthcare providers around the world. Recently, it has been recorded that among all the health care professionals dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists are at high risk as they are in close contact with patients and are exposed to body fluids of patients. To assess the knowledge and create awareness of changes in the practice of emergency and non – emergency dental procedures during COVID-19 among dental interns. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100dental interns. As the study was conducted during the pandemic time, a web-based survey was created using google form which composed of a set of 12 structured custom- made questions. The answers were collected and subjected to statistics.It was seen that more than 80% of the dental interns were aware of the guidelines issued by various dental associations regarding changes in dental procedures during COVID-19 pandemic situation. Most of the students were also aware of the term ‘Tele dentistry’ and telecommunications for dental care, consultation and education. Adaptations and adjustments in the dental procedures need to be done to avoid the spread of the disease. Hence, it is important and mandatory for dental professionals and students to be aware of the precautions to be taken when performing emergency as well as non-emergency procedures during this pandemic situation.

The working conditions are a set of parameters that influence the satisfaction found daily at this activity. Dental assistants play an invaluable part in the dental team by improving the dentist's efficiency in delivering oral health care and by increasingly influencing the productivity of the dental office through interpersonal relationships and competence these techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the working conditions and to determine the degree of satisfaction. Material and Methods:This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with dental assistants listed in the registries of the Association of Dental Assistants of Senegal. This is a self-administered survey with a three-part form. The study lasted two months and the 140 participants were informed of the nature and purpose of the survey and their participation was anonymous and voluntary. A total of 113 responded to the questionnaire, datawas collected and analyzed with SPSS 18 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). The comparison of the data was made with the chi-square tests X2 and Pearson and a significance threshold p ? 0.05was retained. Results: The results of this study conducted with Senegalese dental assistants show very precarious working conditions resulting in low salary levels; 53.1% earn less than 200 euros for 40 hours of work per week and 46% work without a contract. Despite a very stressful work environment, a statistically significant difference could not be established between salary and job satisfaction. Conclusion:The results of this study show a precarious profession with very low pay levels and almost non-existent work contracts. Keywords: Working conditions, Remuneration, Stress, Dental assistant, Dentistry

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate dentists', dental hygienists' and dental assistants' competence in mentoring students and to identify distinct mentor profiles. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using the Mentors' Competence Instrument (MCI), which includes 45 items structured under seven mentoring competence sub-dimensions. The data were collected during autumn 2017 from dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants working in the Finnish primary healthcare (n = 1097) using a paper survey, whilst dentists (n = 26) who have completed mentoring education in one university completed an electronic questionnaire. Cases with more than 5% missing data (n = 164) were listwise deleted, whilst the remaining data (n = 933) underwent analysis. K-mean clustering was used to identify significantly different mentor profiles, whilst comparisons of mentoring competence between the identified profiles were performed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results Three distinct mentor profiles (A, B and C) that differed in the level of mentoring competence were identified. The participants in profile A encompassed mostly dental assistants, profile B included mostly dental assistants and dentists, and profile C mainly comprised dentists and dental assistants. Profiles A, B and C differed significantly in terms of education, job title, role of mentor and participation in mentoring education. The largest difference in competence was observed between participants of profiles A and C. Each profile differed significantly from the other two across all seven competence areas. Most of the participants had not previously received any mentoring education. Conclusion There is room for improvement in the competence of dentistry student mentors, especially regarding knowledge of effective mentoring practices, goal-oriented mentoring, mentor characteristics and motivation for mentoring. Every mentor that works with oral healthcare students should receive mentoring training.

Background: Hepatitis B is an important public health problem as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare the theoretical and practical knowledge levels of dental assistant students about Hepatitis B Virus. Methods: The 1st and 2nd grade students of the Oral and Dental Health program were invited to participate in the survey. Out of the 68 invited students, 61 completed the questionnaire. The average ages of the male and female students surveyed were 20.27±1.45 and 19.56±1.16, respectively. A total of 34 questions were asked, of which 15 measured basic theoretical knowledge and 19 assessed basic practical knowledge. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the students’ knowledge for each question according to their sex and grade. When the questionnaire was grouped into basic theoretical and basic practical knowledge levels, both were observed to be high. While the lowest correct answer rate was 35.00% for the questions about practical applications, it was 31.14% for the questions measuring the level of theoretical knowledge. There was no statistically significant difference when the levels of knowledge of 1st and 2nd grade students were compared. Students answered the majority of the questions correctly, and ranged between 71% and 100%. Conclusion: Students’ high level of basic theoretical knowledge can be a result of their in-class education on the fundamentals. However, their knowledge about the correct approaches in practical applications indicates the beneficial role of having well-defined criteria and prevention protocols that are required in hospitals and the effectiveness of their environmental orientations.

Objective The management of the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Lombardy (Italy) implied that non-COVID-19 health care was remodeled, limiting adequate resources in non-hospital public dental healthcare settings. This situation offered the opportunity to investigate the occupational COVID-19 risk to dental staff in public non-hospital dental units. Methods An infection control protocol was designed for dental health care in the Territorial Health and Social Services Authority (ASST) "Melegnano and Martesana" (Milan). Since specific guidance from central authorities was lacking, information was gathered from international public health organizations. The probability to visit asymptomatic COVID-19-infected patients was estimated, and the occupational risk to dental staff was calculated. Results The probability to visit asymptomatic patients passed from 1.2% (95% confidence interval -95 CI, 0.6%-2.5%) in the first period (20 February-15 March 2020) to 11.1% (95 CI, 5.8%-23.6%) in the second period (16 March-30 April). Dentists and dental assistants did not develop COVID-19, while one nurse did, the nature of her occupational risk was unclear, as nurses provided prevalently non-dental health care. The probabilities of developing COVID-19 per worked hour per person excluding and including this uncertain situation were 0.0% (95 CI, 0.0%-3.2%) and 0.9% (95 CI, 0.1%-4.7%). Conclusion Relatively simple infection control procedures were enough to control occupational COVID-19 risk during the outbreak.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread globally. Dentists, dental specialists, dental assistants, dental staff, and patients are potentially at higher risk of COVID-19 infection during dental treatments. The prosthodontic dental treatment procedures may range from low to very high risk of COVID-19. This article presents necessary recommendations regarding the prosthodontic dental treatment procedures with standards of care and infection control.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of Needlestick Injuries (NSIs) among dental professionals in various dental hospitals of Rawalpindi. Study Design and Setting: It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in four different dental colleges of Rawalpindi from January 2019 to March 2019. Methodology: By using convenient sampling technique, a total of 252 dental professionals were approached for the data collection through a structured, pretested, self-designed questionnaire. SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. P-value

COVID-19 es una enfermedad infecciosa producida por el virus SARS-CoV-2 Entre la poblacion de alto riesgo de contagio se encuentra el personal de salud Particularmente, la atencion dental por sus caracteristicas es una situacion de riesgo para los profesionales odontologos y los auxiliares dentales Por lo tanto, es necesario caracterizar las principales vias de transmision del virus SARS-CoV-2 y describir las medidas para prevenir el contagio en el contexto de la atencion dental La bibliografia de la bases de datos Pubmed y Scielo, ademas, de guias clinicas sobre atencion odontologica, indican que la practica dental es una situacion de alto riesgo debido a que los procedimientos dentales producen gotas y aerosoles, potencialmente contaminados Ademas, existe contacto estrecho entre el clinico y el paciente Se recomienda que los odontologos suspendan la atencion electiva, y solo realicen procedimientos de urgencia o emergencia En casos de atencion dental de urgencia, la higiene de manos, tanto del paciente como del clinico, es indispensable Se deben utilizar barreras de proteccion personal, disminuir los procedimientos que generen aerosoles o gotas, utilizar aislacion con goma dique y eyeccion mediante una tecnica a 4 manos Ademas, es necesaria una adecuada desinfeccion del instrumental y las superficies clinicas antes y despues de la atencion A la fecha, no existe un protocolo universal para la atencion durante el brote COVID-19, las recomendaciones estan en constante evolucion segun se determinan nuevas caracteristicas del virus SARS-CoV-2 Sin embargo, se deben tomar medidas de precaucion antes, durante y despues de la atencion dental para reducir el riesgo de contagio entre el paciente y el personal de salud dental COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus Among the population at high risk of contagion is health workers In particular, dental care due to its characteristics is a risk situation for dental professionals and dental assistants Therefore, it is necessary to characterize the main routes of transmission of the SARSCoV-2 virus and describe the measures to prevent contagion in the context of dental care The bibliography of the Pubmed and Scielo databases, in addition to clinical guidelines on dental care, indicate that dental practice is a high-risk situation because dental procedures produce potentially contaminated drops and sprays Furthermore, there is close contact between the clinician and patient It is recommended that dentists discontinue elective care, and only perform urgent or emergency procedures In cases of emergency dental care, hand hygiene, both for the patient and the clinician, is essential Personal protection barriers should be used, procedures that generate aerosols or drops should be reduced, isolation with rubber dam and ejection using a 4handed technique should be used In addition, adequate disinfection of instruments and clinical surfaces is required before and after care To date, there is no universal protocol for care during the COVID-19 outbreak, the recommendations are constantly evolving as new characteristics of the SARSCoV-2 virus are determined However, precautionary measures should be taken before, during, and after dental care to reduce the risk of contagion between the patient and dental health personnel

The burden of occupational health hazards in dentists, final year bachelor of dental surgery (BDS) students and dental assistants are tremendous. Developing countries have controversial situation about the prevalence because of inadequate facilities in rural and urban areas of each nation. Objective: To determine the prevalence of occupational health hazards in dentists, final year BDS students and dental assistants of Lahore. Methods: A total of 300 subjects comprising of 150 dentists, 50 final year BDS students and 100 dental assistants were selected through simple random sampling technique. The cross sectional study was carried out in both private and public based teaching hospitals of Lahore to assess the differences of prevalence of occupational health hazards between them with a pre-tested questionnaire. Results: Among all the occupational health hazards under study a maximum problem of stress was manifested and reported in 87% of all the subjects of private university hospital and 66% in public university dental hospital. Minimum health hazard in the term of prevalence of hearing impairment among public university dental hospitals was 25% in public and 36% in private university dental hospital. Conclusions: The burden of occupational health hazards and its prevalence was higher as an average in private university dental hospitals as compared to public university dental hospitals.

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices about personal protective equipment (PPE) among dental surgery assistants in a Public Sector Teaching Hospital of Multan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among dental surgery assistants in the dental outpatient departments of a public sector hospital of Multan city from Aug to Oct 2019. Pre-structured questionnaire which comprised of socio-demographic data, questions related to knowledge, attitude and practices was used. In the domain of knowledge there were 6 items. Dental assistant who scores ≤4 were considered to have appropriate knowledge for PPE. In the domain of attitude there were 5 items. Dental assistant who scores ≤3 were considered to have positive attitude for PPE. In the domain of practices there were 6 items. Dental assistant who scores ≤4 was considered good practicing of PPE. Results: Of 80 participants, 65 (81.25%) were males and 15 (18.75%) were females. Majority (n=54, 67.5%) of them were between 21-30 years of age. Appropriate knowledge was observed in 77 (96.3%) participants, positive attitude in 53 (66.3%) while, only 8 (10%) participants practiced good PPE. A significant difference was reported in the practices of dental assistants when compared with their knowledge (p-value 0.046) while attitude was found to be insignificant (p-value 0.710). Conclusion: Dental surgery assistants of the renowned public sector teaching hospital of Multan city reported sound and apposite knowledge, moderate attitude while inappropriate practices about PPE.

The article is devoted to determining the dependence of the quality of performance by an x-ray laboratory technician and, especially, by the dental assistant, of standard x-ray dental laying on the process of examining teeth and jaws. A retrospective analysis of 900 intraoral radiographs, orthopantomograms, enlarged panoramic radiographs in direct projection (analog and digital, performed in various medical facilities) of patients in the age group of 18-85 years was performed. The most signfTcant methodological errors of the paramedical staff (especially dental assistants) of the X-ray room were determined, which lead to the appointment of a re-examination, the implementation of additional projections, auxiliary visualization techniques and an increase in the number of false-negative results.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the employment possibilities of Lithuanian dental hygienists. METHODS: The questionnaire asked about the demographics of dental hygienists, characteristics of practice, patient load, career intentions, opinion about dental hygienists workforce and the need of governmental workforce regulation. The study consisted of all licensed dental hygienists in Lithuania in 2018 (N = 1109). RESULTS: The final response rate was 52.1% (n = 578), 64% (n = 370) of respondents lived in the country's five main cities, and 73.5% (n = 425) worked in these population centres, with 94.3% (n = 545) worked in private sector. Over two-thirds of respondents said there was an excess of dental hygienists in Lithuania. Nearly 80% "always" or "sometimes" reported that they had insufficient patients, which may account for the prevalence of supplementary work (48.4%, n = 280), that is work as a dental assistant (67.9%, n = 190). Data obtained show that dental hygienists with less than ten years' experience were likely to work as a dental assistant (P

The novel Coronavirus pandemic defines a new risk for all dental practitioners, hygienists, and dental assistants. As an increasing number of dentists are now developing this disease, we wanted to provide some measures to manage this risk in the dental practice, by undergoing a review of the current literature. This minireview searches the literature for articles that both defined the infection risk in the dental practice and provided evidence on the efficacy of some procedures on reducing the infection risk. Several articles have already pointed out some necessary measures: fewer patients have to be admitted to the practice, a short triage should be carried out, and the appropriate measures of protection have to be used. On the basis of the literature collected, a short questionnaire and a flowchart is proposed to define the risk that each patient carries, and to appropriately adapt each procedure based on the patient’s risk. The literature is still limited on this subject, but on the basis of what is available, dental practices have to adapt to the situation in order to protect dental health professionals. Impact statement Dentists have always been taught how to protect themselves and their patients from potential blood-borne pathogens, but the Coronavirus pandemic has brought a new unprecedented challenge to the world of dentistry; we therefore reviewed the literature to provide suggestions on how to accordingly change dental practice prevention.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether a handheld (HH) X-ray device (Nomad Pro 2) is capable of producing equivalent or even superior X-ray image quality in comparison to a wall-mounted (WM) dental X-ray unit (Heliodent Plus) on the basis of objectifiable image quality parameters. Methods Anatomical, radiological and biological dental X-ray image quality parameters of a handheld dental X-ray device (Nomad Pro 2, Kavo Kerr, Biberach, Germany) were compared to a standard wall-mounted dental X-ray unit (Heliodent Plus, Sirona Dental Systems, Bensheim, Germany) using a maxillofacial phantom. In addition, the effect of different operators (dentists, dental students, dental assistants) on the dental X-ray image quality was measured. Results HH and WM devices showed comparable image quality for anterior teeth, premolars, molars and bitewing images. During the two-month investigational period, the radiation exposure level for the operator of the Nomad Pro 2 was 0.1 mSv for 203 images. Dentists as the highest trained personnel enrolled in the study achieved better image quality with the Nomad Pro 2 as compared to dental students and dental assistants, especially in the molar region. Conclusions A HH device delivers a comparable image quality to a WM device. In addition, there seem to be short learning curves with regard to image acquisition when using a handheld device, which is further minimised by the previous training of the operating personnel. HH dental X-ray devices, such as the Nomad Pro 2 are a promising adjunct for dental radiology in cases where WM units are of limited practicability.

The aim of the study was to study current trends and topical problems of the division of labor in dentistry. Materials and methods. Various sources of information were analyzed, including special literature, regulatory legal acts, advertisements on job sites and official statistics; a systemic approach, content analysis and comparative method were used. Results. The applied value of the main normative documents that define today the professional model of a dentist (Professional standard, Nomenclature of specialties, Qualification requirements) is revealed. The advantages and disadvantages of the narrowly focused specialization of dentists are noted. The analysis of the existing practice of using auxiliary personnel in dental clinics is carried out. It is pointed out the shortcomings of providing nurses to doctors of state dental institutions, as well as the fact that the current regulations define the functions of a nurse without taking into account dental specifics. At the same time, dental assistants work in private clinics, but this category of medical personnel is not formally available, since it is not provided for by current legislation. Conclusion. Based on the analysis, concludes that it is necessary to develop a concept of the division of labor in dentistry, which makes it possible to determine the roles (compositions of functions) of various dental specialists, the rational boundaries of the specialization of dentists and the criteria for assigning certain medical actions to the exclusive competence of a particular specialty. Along with this, it is proposed, as a priority, to officially introduce a new specialty “Nursing in dentistry” and the position of dental assistant.