Assessing Dental Patients' Acceptance and Trust of Dentists in COVID-19-related Services: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Dentists have traditionally been underutilized in public health crises, despite their clinical expertise and trusted role within communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for an expanded healthcare workforce, yet the extent to which dental patients trust and accept dentists providing pandemic-related services remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to assess dental patients’ acceptance and trust in dentists conducting COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and public health communication while examining the influence of demographic and insurance-related factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered, structured questionnaire-based study was conducted at multiple clinics within the University of Florida College of Dentistry. A total of 150 adult dental patients participated, providing self-reported responses on their trust in dentists discussing COVID-19 topics and their acceptance of dentists administering COVID-19 services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify associations between demographic variables and trust levels. Results: Trust in dentists discussing COVID-19 topics was high, particularly for face masking (85.4%) and COVID-19 disease (76.4%), but was lower for discussing vaccination (70.2%). Patient acceptance of dentists administering COVID-19 vaccines was divided, with 51% expressing comfort and 49% expressing hesitancy. Private insurance holders were significantly less trusting of dentists in administering COVID-19-related services, while Medicare recipients exhibited the highest levels of trust. Age trends suggested older individuals were more trusting, while demographic variables such as sex, race, and ethnicity were not statistically significant predictors of trust. Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential role of dentists in public health crises beyond traditional oral healthcare. While dentists are trusted for public health communication, hesitancy in accepting them as vaccine providers suggests a need for further public education and policy reinforcement. Recognizing dentists as part of the frontline healthcare workforce could enhance healthcare system resilience in future crises.