0000000000240942
AUTHOR
María Del Carmen Trullols-casas
Delivery of Health Care by Spanish Dental Hygienists in Private and Public Dental Services during the COVID-19 De-Escalation Phase (June 2020): A Cross-Sectional Study
Background: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain posed a major challenge for Spanish dental professionals. The objective of this work is to describe the dental hygienists’ work status and employment patterns during the de-escalation phase in order to analyse the standards of knowledge, compliance with official recommendations, and dental activities both in the public health service and in the private sector. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was answered by Spanish dental hygienists via WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. The questionnaire was piloted before it was distributed and carried out during June 2020. Results: Here, 517 dental hygienists were surveyed…
Recommendations by the Spanish Society of Epidemiology and Oral Public Health (SESPO) for the healthcare adaptation of public health dental clinics in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic and, a few days later, the Spanish Government declared a State of Emergency and the population lockdown. This crisis situation crisis forced deep changes in health care. At dental care level, it became necessary for both public health services and private consultations to plan changes to enable them to face this healthcare challenge. Material and methods SESPO and the General Council of Dentists of Spain (CGDE) appointed a Working Group to prepare a protocol for dental clinics after the lockdown stage. Continuing with this teamwork task, a series of recommendations addressed to public health manager…