To the Editor,
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted dental services and affected urgent and elective services and education. The dental services and training resumed within months, despite the disease remaining active. This return was associated with burnout, lethargy, and concern in dentists and trainees. Most studies focused on student worries and anxiety were undertaken when most dental schools were on lockdown.1 No research has examined how students perceive returning to clinical training during the pandemic. This study assessed students' worries about the pandemic and its impact on their education during the national quarantine. It also focused on how returning to clinical training affected their perspectives and perceptions. During the lockdown, out of 420 students contacted, 364 (86.7%) responded. There were 250 female and 114 male participants in the sample, a ratio of 2.2:1. Most of the students (N = 346, 95.05%) responded to the second questionnaire sent after the return to onsite training. During the lockdown, 76% of both sexes expressed fear and anxiety about catching COVID-19. The students' return to training significantly reduced the number of students who indicated fear during the lockdown (n = 204, 56%) (P = 0.00). Most students (n = 313, 85.9%) were eager to perform dental procedures on patients. Only 260 (71.4%) students showed concern after practice resumed. Most students feared transferring the virus from training clinics to their families. The return to onsite instruction reduced that concern from 93.7% to 87.4%. Most participants (n = 305, 83.8%) were concerned about the pandemic's impact on dental education. All study groups (n = 312, 85.7%) were unnerved by returning to clinical training. Given the pandemic's various risks, only 10% of participants regretted choosing dentistry as a career; When questioned about online instruction, students rated it 3 out of 5 (33% of 120 participants) to 2 out of 5 (8.5% of 31 participants). Over a third of students rated online learning as 2 out of 5 after returning to on-campus training (Fig. 1 ). The first phase of the survey was conducted during the lockdown. Stress and fear generated by quarantine restrictions may have affected answers.2 Participants feared infecting their families. This was similar to health workers' concerns about infecting their families.3 Dental education emphasizes the continuity of clinical and practical training. Short-term quarantine or protracted lockout might impair training and induce anxiety. North American Dental Education Commission and British General Dental Council implemented temporary flexibility measures during the initial stage of the pandemic. These include: Alternate assessment methods, including patient simulation units; curriculum content or requirements are modified or reduced; and program duration or portion duration is shortened. Dental institutions modified educational delivery and student academic advancement to comply with community health regulations. E-learning and online learning have proven effective in the health professions, including dentistry. Blended learning blends classroom and distance learning to enhance autonomy, engagement, and cooperation. Students' lack of preparation for online learning led to mixed comments on their remote learning experience. Many students, particularly seniors, down rated online learning when they returned to training and experienced a more integrated teaching-learning model. Bridges and coworkers recommended mixing learning technology with face-to-face education to boost knowledge and visualization.4 The level of the study affects the student's preferred instruction method. Juniors favor online classes over seniors. Studies suggested that younger students adapt to e-learning more easily.5 The author found that the return to practice reduced stress and anxiety among the same students they expressed during quarantine. The stringent cross-infection policy and inoculation against the disease facilitated this excellent outcome. Students are understandably anxious about obtaining work after graduation, considering the high unemployment rate caused by COVID-19. Seniors echoed this perspective. However, most students were okay with choosing a dental career. This study focuses on one dental school in one country. Students in areas where COVID-19 is more prevalent may give different replies. Finally, the study's findings may inspire dental institutions to examine the emotional impact of the pandemic, monitor students' healthy return to everyday routines, and learn how to employ hybrid education and face future obstacles.
Fig. 1.
A) Summary of the student's responses to the various questions related to the emotional impact of the pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on the quality of training and education; B) The COVID-19–related responses of the participants after return to training; C) The change in the pattern of student rating of the online teaching and learning experience during the lockdown (red) and after return to training (yellow). The rating key: 1 Strongly disagree; 2 Disagree; 3 Neither agree nor disagree; 4 Agree; 5 Strongly agree.
Declaration of competing interest
The author declares no potential financial and non-financial conflicts of interest.
Footnotes
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asjsur.2022.09.159.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
The following are the supplementary data to this article:
References
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