| The purpose of this study was to test a protocol for assessing and treating patients with PostCOVID Conditions (PCC) in the dental practice setting. A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. A PCC assessment and treatment protocol (ATP) was used by dental hygienists in clinical practice in California for 6 weeks. Practitioners were then invited to participate in individual interviews; online individual interviews were comprised of 20 dental hygienists recruited via purposive sampling. Fifty-six participants completed the six-week PCC ATP protocol, and twenty participants were interviewed. Four themes were identified: awareness, accessibility, resources, and complications. Within the theme of accessibility, the subthemes of ease of use and guidance emerged. The theme, complications yielded three subthemes: time, clinician hesitation, and patient lack of cooperation. This study demonstrated a PCC ATP created awareness of the varied symptoms of PCC and is a useful resource for clinical practitioners. |