RT Journal Article
T1 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
A1 Expósito Delgado, Antonio Javier
A1 Ausina Márquez, Verónica
A1 Mateos Moreno, María Victoria
A1 Martínez Sanz, Elena
A1 Del Carmen Trullols Casas, María
A1 Llamas Ortuño, María Eulalia
A1 Blanco González, José María
A1 Almerich Torres, Teresa
A1 Bravo, Manuel
A1 Martínez Beneyto, Yolanda
AB 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, of which 86.2% followed the official recommendations to avoid contagion and 63.8% agreed with the gradual return to work by limiting the use of aerosols. Private dental hygienists identified more with returning to work without restrictions (14.5%) versus those working for the public service (1.2%) (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Dental hygienists’ return to work has involved different strategies, aimed at controlling infection and guaranteeing the safety of patients and the rest of the dental team. The availability of personal protective equipment, the adaptation of clinical infrastructure, and patient care management have differed between professionals working in the private and public sectors.
PB MDPI
SN 1660-4601
YR 2021
FD 2021-08-05
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/5042
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/5042
LA eng
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025