The use of social media for professional purposes among dentists in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: To investigate the dentists' opinions towards social media (SM) use in daily practice and the expected limitations from its use in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: An electronic survey was carried out throughout May-June 2020 among a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered three parts: the first part covered professional and demographic information, the second part covered the use of mobile phones and SM in dental practice, while the third part assessed dentists' opinion on SM use. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions and percentages and independent t test/ANOVA test for the relationship between the mean of dentists' opinion towards SM and demographic variables. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The majority of respondents (80%) believe that SM plays an active role in patients' decisions regarding the selection of a healthcare provider. The mean dentists' opinion scores on the use of SM were significantly lower among participants working more than 50 h per week compared with other participants (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The majority of sampled dentists believe that SM plays an active role in patients' decisions regarding the healthcare provider's selection. Directed campaigns can help dentists optimize the use of SM for both professional and personal purposes.

Pandemic preparedness of dentists against coronavirus disease: A Saudi Arabian experience.

BACKGROUND: Dental offices are among the highest risk for transmission of the COVID-19, having the potential to transmit the virus via routine dental procedures. This cross-sectional study assessed the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic by dentists in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This online survey addressed the impact and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised 26 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions with percentages. In addition, the significance between the different demographic variables and questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic was tested using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: COVID-19 management in dental clinics varied in terms of adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines. Dental clinics' screening questionnaire for patients showed good adherence (67%), while the lowest agreement was detected with the question on the existence of an airborne infection in the isolation room (15%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents agreed that the dental reception area adopted the proper COVID-19 preventive measures. Greatest accord was observed in their answers on questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from 64%-89%. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in questions about the perception of dentists towards the COVID-19 pandemic by different demographic variables such as age and years of work experience (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The response of most dentists regarding the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic was positive. Dental clinics need to adhere more to the MOH recommendations in preparedness of their facilities or by educating their dentists and staff.

Prevalence of manufacturing defects in latex examination gloves used in selected dental practices in central Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the defect rates in latex examination gloves used in selected dental practices in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 796 latex examination gloves were collected from 5 governmental hospitals and 5 private dental practices between April 2012 and May 2012. The gloves were assessed for presence of defects visually (VT) and using water inflation test (WIT). One and 2 sample t-tests were used to assess significant differences in defect rates among each latex brand, and between governmental hospitals and private dental practices. RESULTS: Defects in latex gloves were more likely to be identified using WIT compared with VT (20.2% versus 4.3%, p=0.000). Using WIT, examined latex gloves had a defect rate approximately 8 times the acceptable quality level of 2.5% (20.2%, p=0.000). Using WIT, gloves used in private dental practices had significantly higher defect rates compared with governmental dental clinics (25.6% versus 14.6%, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: Most latex examination gloves used in the sampled governmental dental clinics and private dental practices in Riyadh had significantly higher preexisting defect rates than acceptable standard levels.