A questionnaire-based survey of COVID-19 transmission in dental practice during the pandemic: comparison between the 1st-5th and the 6th-8th surges in Japan.

Objectives: A previous questionnaire survey on infection control measures and infection status among practicing dentists during the 1st-5th surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Japan indicated a low risk of COVID-19 infection spreading through dental care. However, the low number of infected patients during the survey period may have been a contributing factor, and a sharp increase in the number of infected patients was subsequently observed. We re-examined the spread of infections in dental care settings and compared the results with those of previous reports.

Materials and methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was administered in March 2023 to examine the situation from February 2022 to March 2023, when the 6th-8th surge of COVID-19 infection was observed in Japan. The survey was conducted via an online platform (Google Forms; San Mateo, California, USA). The call for participation was publicized to members of the Nagano Dental Association. The survey consisted of questions on clinical activities, infection control measures, and confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases among patients and clinical staff.

Results: The number of COVID-19-positive patients increased approximately 50-fold between the study periods. There was a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of dental treatment for infected patients.

Conclusion: Even with the increased likelihood of contact with COVID-19 patients, no cases of infection during dental treatment were observed. The results of this study indicate that even with the possibility of contact with COVID-19 during dental treatment, the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices is low if appropriate infection prevention measures are in place.