The role of hospital dentistry from the perspective of healthcare professionals providing care in a tertiary hospital during COVID-19 times

Abstract

Hospital Dentistry is the area of dentistry that provides care to individuals who require high-complexity treatments, whether performed in a hospital setting or at home, within the context of a multidisciplinary team, aiming to maintain oral health and improve the quality of life of hospitalized patients. The aim of the study was to analyze the role of hospital dentistry from the perspective of healthcare professionals providing care in a tertiary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The research was conducted between April and May 2021 in a tertiary care hospital within the Brazilian Unified Health System in partnership with the Dentistry course of a private university. An online questionnaire with objective questions was administered to 100 healthcare professionals working in Intensive Care Units who are not part of the dental profession. Regarding the perspective of the multidisciplinary team, it was observed that 88% of the interviewed professionals know that the hospital they work in has a dentistry department and 70% know how the dentist works in a hospital setting. Regarding ventilator-associated pneumonia, 82% consider it may be associated with the patient's oral condition and 99% know that the presence of the dentist may contribute to a reduction in patient hospitalization costs. Therefore, it was considered that the role of the dentist in a hospital setting positively contributes to the improvement of the patient's health condition, as well as to the maintenance and reduction of hospitalization costs.