Abstract

Introduction: Dental waste is considered hazardous biomedical waste (BMW), and it generates different types of materials. The importance of management of BMW has been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to validate a questionnaire assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices around BMW management among dental health care personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 159 dental students and dentists in Saudi Arabia who were recruited via online questionnaire. The questionnaire was first validated through piloting. T-tests, linear regressions, chi- square, and ANOVA were used for statistical analyses, and statistical significance was set as a probability value of less than 0.05.

Results: The mean of the participants’ total knowledge score was 6.04 (standard deviation = 2.10) out of 14 questions. About 79.9% were aware that BMW management rules apply to dentists. However, only 6.9% knew how to dispose of a radiographic lead foil. Knowledge levels were significantly higher (0.048) among dentists than dental students. Between 84.9% and 91.8% of respondents think BMW training is important, should be a compulsory undergraduate course and became more important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: The questionnaire has been validated and can be used to assess dental BMW awareness. The level of BMW knowledge in Saudi Arabia is low and needs reinforcement among dental students and dentists.

Keywords: Biomedical Waste; Dental Waste; COVID-19; Health Care; Dentist; Dental Intern

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