Mutluay, Abidin TalhaMutluay, Merve2025-01-212025-01-2120221601-50291601-5037https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12553https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12587/24555Objective This study aimed to evaluate the educational concerns and awareness level among dental hygiene students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods A questionnaire, created via Google Forms, was sent electronically to 240 dental hygiene students from Turkey, of which 223 replied to the survey. The questionnaire was divided into 4 parts and consisted of 24 close-ended questions. Results The main symptoms of COVID-19 were correctly recognized by 71% of the students, and 40.2% of the students were aware of the transmission routes. Of all, 77.1% of the students expressed fear of getting infected, 96.9% believed that they would more likely get infected while performing dental procedures, and 91% believed that dental hygienists' cross-contamination risk was high. Furthermore, 69.5% of the students stated that their undergraduate education process was negatively affected, 59.6% appreciated ongoing online education, and 31.8% wanted face-to-face clinical internships. Conclusions Although most of the students were aware of the transmission routes and preventive measures of COVID-19, concerns regarding disease transmission among them remain. Students appreciated the ongoing online education and believed that face-to-face education is risky during this current pandemic. However, they believe that this process can adversely affect their professional knowledge and especially practical skills. A balance must be struck between sustaining an effective dental hygiene education process and containing the spread of COVID-19.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessCOVID-19; dental hygienist; education; pandemic; public healthArticle20227328110.1111/idh.125532-s2.0-8511998129134532961Q1WOS:000723070600001Q3