The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of Nova Scotian dentists.

The survey had only 19 respondents out of roughly 576 dentists in the province, a 3.3% response rate, so the numbers may not represent Nova Scotian dentists and the authors say they are not generalizable beyond those who answered. Phase 1 had only 8 dentists, so the themes come from a very small group. The survey was sent out by the Nova Scotia Dental Association, the same body respondents were asked to rate, so people unhappy with it may simply not have replied. Everything reported is self-reported and recalled after the fact, which the authors note can introduce recall bias and subjective interpretation. The study did not separate the early and later stages of the pandemic, when pressures on dentists were different. Four of the eight interviewed dentists had over twenty years in practice, so the views of newer dentists are barely represented. Findings come from a single Canadian province and may not transfer elsewhere.

The study was supported in part by a Research Nova Scotia Scotia Scholars undergraduate student research award to Katherine Culligan, the primary investigator. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Do not read the 84% grinding and 79% fracture figures, or the high support ratings, as describing Nova Scotian dentists in general. Only 19 of roughly 576 responded, and the survey was circulated by the association being rated, so these numbers describe a small, self-selected group. They are also dentists' own recollections of their patients, not clinical examinations.