Stress and anxiety among dental practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Background. Dental professionals are at great risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objectives. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of stress and anxiety among dental professionals, and to determine which dental procedures cause the greatest amount of stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. This cross-sectional survey was conducted by requesting voluntary participation of dental healthcare workers through the authors'own e-form, which consisted of our self-developed questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7). The simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the effect of dental procedures and other factors associated with stress and anxiety among the participants. A p-value <= 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. This survey included 85 participants (32 males, 53 females) with a mean age of 31.6 +/- 6.0 years. Significant associations were found between severe stress for scaling (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), complex fillings (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), root canal treatment (RCT) (p = 0.001; p = 0.007), crown and bridge work (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), denture work (p = 0.034; p = 0.001), third molar extractions (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), surgical procedures (p < 0.001; p = 0.001), and implant placement (p = 0.001; p = 0.022) and the PSS and GAD-7 scores, respectively. Conclusions. Dental healthcare workers exhibit severe stress and anxiety associated with elective dental procedures. Dental emergencies should take precedence and elective dental treatment should be carried out with utmost caution, ensuring all protective measures. Psychological support for dental healthcare professionals should be made accessible.