Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China has influenced every aspect of life worldwide. Due to the characteristics of dental settings, the risk of cross-infection is high between dental practitioners and patients and dentists may develop severe anxiety about the current pandemic. In addition, the limited provision of services and closure of dental practices raised concerns among dental professionals about the financial consequences of this closure. This

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... assessed the frequency of dental practice closure in several countries, the factors associated with this closure and whether closure and associated factors differed between private and non-private sectors.Methods: From April to May 2020, an electronic survey was sent to dentists in several countries. The survey assessed professional factors, practice factors and country-level structural factors. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the association between practice closure and these factors. Effect modification by type of sector was also assessed. Results: Dentists (n= 3243) participated from 29 countries. The majority (75.9%) reported practice closure with significantly higher percentage in the private sector than the non-private sector. Pandemic- related fears were associated with significantly higher likelihood of practice closure in private (OR= 1.54, 95%CI= 1.24, 1.92) and non-private sectors (OR= 1.38, 95%CI= 1.04, 1.82). Dentists in non-private, governmental sector (OR= 0.54, 95%CI= 0.31, 0.94), those in rural areas (OR= 0.58, 95%CI= 0.42, 0.81) and those in hospitals (overall OR= 0.60, 95%CI= 0.36, 0.99) reported low likelihood of closure. High likelihood of closure was reported by those in academia (OR= 2.13, 95%CI= 1.23, 3.71). More hospital beds at country-level were associated with lower likelihood of closure in the non-private sector (OR= 0.65, 95%CI= 0.46, 0.91). Private sector dentists in high income countries (HICs) reported less closure than in non-HICs (OR= 0.55, 95%= 0.15, 1.93).Conclusions: Most dentists reported practice closure because of COVID-19 with greater impact in the private than non-private sectors. Closure was associated with factors at professional, practice, and country-level.