COVID-19 Impact on Visits to Dental Clinics

Background: Before and during the COVID-19 epidemic, the authors tried to measure the frequency of dental visits. They also tried to determine whether socioeconomic status, oral health diagnoses, and dental service providers can predict dental visits.

Methods: Patients seeking dental care in Al-Yamama hospital, dental department, Riyadh Saudi Arabia served as the study's participants. Data were taken from digital databases between March 12, 2020, and December 30, 2020, as well as during the same time period in 2019. Multiple logistic regression and the analysis of variance test were used to evaluate the data at = 0.05.

Results: A total of 32244 dental appointments were made; in 2019 and 2020, there were 21199 and 11045 visits, respectively. Despite the overall decline, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw an increase in the number of visits for infections, salivary issues, and temporomandibular disorders. Dental visits during the pandemic were linked to both greater socioeconomic level and more intricate oral diagnosis and dental care.

Conclusion: Dental appointments fell off under lockdown notably during the COVID-19 outbreak. Most patients who needed urgent treatment for difficult issues went to dental clinics. Socially deprived people mostly experienced reduced access to care.