Safety Precaution and Infection Control Practices among Dental Practitioners in Nigeria during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: COVID-19 remains a major public health threat globally and dental practitioners are particularly at risk due to the proximity of care givers to the patient and the generation of aerosols during many dental treatment procedures. Dental practitioners are therefore required to strictly observe standard universal precautions in their clinical practice. Objectives: To determine the safety precaution and infection control practices among dental practitioners in Nigeria during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered pre-tested questionnaire based survey of consenting dental practitioners from different geopolitical zones in Nigeria was employed for the study. Study participants were recruited by non-random convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results: A total of 105 out of 142 respondents completed and returned the survey questionnaire giving a response rate of 74%. About 24-55% of study respondents performed aerosol/splatter/droplet generating procedures. Hand hygiene and donning of face mask were the most common safety practices while the use of face shield and N95 facemask were common infection control practices. Over 60% of respondents practiced triaging of patients, pre-procedural mouth rinse and donning of disposable surgical gowns. Almost half of the respondents practiced decontamination of the clinic work environment and over 70% of respondents used N95 masks. Conclusion: Aerosol generating procedures were not uncommon dental practices in Nigeria during COVID-19 pandemic. However, use of N95 mask was relatively high and there was a reasonable level of practice of basic standard COVID-19 safety measures and infection prevention and control guidelines.