Effectiveness of Online Oral Health Education During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing the effectiveness of online public education about oral health during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Studies show that humans touch their face 23 times in 1 hour and touch their mouth
and its surroundings 4 times per hour with a duration of 1-12 seconds. This can cause the transmission of
the virus through the oral, nasal, or conjunctival mucosa. How oral hygiene can contribute to reducing the
risk of Corona Virus transmission between humans is the main focus of this study. Dental procedures carry
high risk of exposure to Covid-19 through saliva, blood and other body fluids from patients, the use of highspeed instruments also increases the risk of infection in practice. The incubation period of 7-24 days exposes
dentists and patients to cross-infection that can be transmitted through the oral cavity and respiratory tract.
The study reveals that a great part of the population in Indonesia, especially in West is unaware of the
transmission of the Corona Virus through dental procedures. Consequently, the study suggests that online
oral education is suitable for raising the community’s awareness of the Covid-19 pandemic.