Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Emergency Admissions in an Urgent Dental Care Service in North Italy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Araxi Balian¹  Maria Grazia Cagetti¹  Nicole Camoni¹  Guglielmo Campus² 

[1] Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy;Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;

关键词: COVID-19;    dentistry;    public health services;    Italy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph18041812

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A retrospective study was performed to verify if the number of admissions for urgent dental care in the Urgent Dental Care Service of San Paolo Hospital in Milan (Italy) was directly related to the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Different periods were analyzed: March 25–April 5, 2019 (pre-COVID); March 23–April 3, 2020 (lockdown); June 8–June 19, 2020 (reopening); and November 9–November 20 (second wave). Raw data regarding admissions, diagnoses, and treatments were extracted. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. The survey included 901 admissions, 285 in pre-COVID, 93 during lockdown, 353 in reopening, and 170 in the second wave. In each time period, statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence of each kind of diagnoses (²₍₃₎ = 20.33 p = 0.01 for endodontic emergencies, ²₍₃₎ = 29.05 p < 0.01 for cellulitis/phlegmon, ²₍₃₎ = 28.55 p < 0.01 for periodontal emergencies, Fisher’s Exact Test p < 0.01 for trauma, and ²₍₃₎ = 59.94 p < 0.01 for all other kinds of diagnosis). A remarkable increase in consultations (+186.36%) and other treatments (+90.63%) occurred during reopening. Tooth extraction was the most frequently delivered treatment, but suffered the largest reduction during lockdown (−79.82%). The COVID-19 pandemic has highly affected dental activity in north Italy, underling the weaknesses of a private dental system in a pandemic scenario.

【 授权许可】

Unknown