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Dental Workload Reduction during First SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Author

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  • Thomas Gerhard Wolf

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
    Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, D-55131 Mainz, Germany
    Free Association of German Dentists/Freier Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte (FVDZ), D-53117 Bonn, Germany)

  • James Deschner

    (Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, D-55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Harald Schrader

    (Free Association of German Dentists/Freier Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte (FVDZ), D-53117 Bonn, Germany)

  • Peter Bührens

    (Free Association of German Dentists/Freier Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte (FVDZ), D-53117 Bonn, Germany)

  • Gudrun Kaps-Richter

    (Free Association of German Dentists/Freier Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte (FVDZ), D-53117 Bonn, Germany)

  • Maria Grazia Cagetti

    (Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science, University of Milan, I-20142 Milan, Italy)

  • Guglielmo Campus

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
    Department of Surgery, Microsurgery and Medicine Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Sassari, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
    WHO Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology and Community Dentistry, University of Milan, I-20142 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

An observational cross-sectional survey was planned to analyze the weekly workload reduction of German dentists during lockdown due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were predominantly members of the Free Association of German Dentists and filled in an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to a total of 9416 dentists, with a response rate of 27.98% ( n = 2635). Respondents were divided into seven macro areas by gross domestic product. Nearly two-thirds of dentists (65.16%) reported a reduction in their practice workload of more than 50% compared to the pre-pandemic period with statistically significant differences between German macro areas ( p < 0.01). Weekly workload was reduced during the lockdown in 93.00% of study participants, while 55.33% dental care centers with multiple employed dentists under the direction of a non-dentist general manager had only a 40% reduction in weekly workload compared to a solo practice or a practice of a dentist with an employed dentist (30.24% and 28.39%, respectively). Dentists in Germany drastically reduced their practice activity during the first wave of the COVID-19 lockdown, both in rural and urban areas. Short, medium, and long-term effects of the pandemic on dental practices, dental staff as well as patient care need to be further investigated.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Gerhard Wolf & James Deschner & Harald Schrader & Peter Bührens & Gudrun Kaps-Richter & Maria Grazia Cagetti & Guglielmo Campus, 2021. "Dental Workload Reduction during First SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:3164-:d:520131
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Maria Grazia Cagetti & Jean Louis Cairoli & Andrea Senna & Guglielmo Campus, 2020. "COVID-19 Outbreak in North Italy: An Overview on Dentistry. A Questionnaire Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-12, May.
    4. Guglielmo Campus & Marcela Diaz-Betancourt & Maria Grazia Cagetti & Joana C. Carvalho & Thiago S. Carvalho & Javier F. Cortés-Martinicorena & James Deschner & Gail V. A. Douglas & Rodrigo A. Giacaman , 2020. "Study Protocol for an Online Questionnaire Survey on Symptoms/Signs, Protective Measures, Level of Awareness and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak among Dentists. A Global Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-8, August.
    5. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Oliver Zeyer & Guglielmo Campus, 2020. "COVID-19 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein: A Cross-Sectional Survey among Dentists’ Awareness, Protective Measures and Economic Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Bruna Sinjari & Imena Rexhepi & Manlio Santilli & Gianmaria D′Addazio & Piero Chiacchiaretta & Piero Di Carlo & Sergio Caputi, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Related Lockdown on Dental Practice in Central Italy—Outcomes of A Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca Malsam & Albert Nienhaus, 2021. "Occupational Infections among Dental Health Workers in Germany—14-Year Time Trends," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Julia Winter & Roland Frankenberger & Frank Günther & Matthias Johannes Roggendorf, 2021. "Dental Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a German Dental Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Adrian Barth & Joachim Hüttmann & Michael Lennartz & Ernst-Jürgen Otterbach & Christian Brendel & Maria Grazia Cagetti & James Deschner & Guglielmo Campus, 2022. "Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Practices in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-9, May.
    4. Anna Turska-Szybka & Maria Prokopczyk & Piotr Winkielman & Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk, 2021. "Knowledge and Attitude of Polish Dental Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Stephan Zellmer & Ella Bachmann & Anna Muzalyova & Alanna Ebigbo & Maria Kahn & Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann & Roland Frankenberger & Fabian M. Eckstein & Thomas Ziebart & Axel Meisgeier & Helmut Messmann , 2021. "One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dental Medical Facilities in Germany: A Questionnaire-Based Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Ralf Kurt Willy Schulze & Francisco Ramos-Gomez & Guglielmo Campus, 2022. "Effectiveness of Telemedicine and Teledentistry after the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-11, October.
    7. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Ernst-Jürgen Otterbach & Oliver Zeyer & Ralf Friedrich Wagner & Tin Crnić & Duygu Ilhan & Guglielmo Campus, 2021. "Influence of Oral Health Care Systems on Future Career Environment of Dental Students in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-10, August.
    8. Sreekanth Kumar Mallineni & Sivakumar Nuvvula & Jaya Chandra Bhumireddy & Ahmad Faisal Ismail & Priya Verma & Rishitha Sajja & Abdullah Alassaf & Basim Almulhim & Sara Alghamdi & Anupam Saha & Virinde, 2021. "Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) among Pediatric Dentists during Lockdown Period," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.

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