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

Maria Grazia Cagetti, Araxi Balian, Nicole Camoni and Guglielmo Campus
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Maria Grazia Cagetti: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
Araxi Balian: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
Nicole Camoni: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
Guglielmo Campus: Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: 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: 25 March–5 April 2019 (pre-COVID); 23 March–3 April 2020 (lockdown); 8 June–19 June 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.

Keywords: COVID-19; dentistry; public health services; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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