The Impact of COVID-19 on the Oral Health of Patients with Special Needs

Accessibility of Patients With Special Healthcare Needs to Dental Care in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A Multicentre Study From Perspective of Caregiver and Dental Care Providers

Dental care accessibility is subject to a dentist's qualification, practice and intention to treat patients, regardless of whether those patients have special healthcare needs (SCN) and should receive treatment in a dental setting. This multicentre study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of patients with SCN, their access to dental care and behaviour towards dental care from their caregiver's perspective. In addition, the perspective of dental care providers who care for patients with SCN and the factors affecting the provision of treatment was also appraised. The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia served as the site of this cross-sectional study from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2022. Caregivers of 272 patients with SCN, regardless of age and gender, were recruited in the study. The caregiver's proforma sought information on the demographic characteristics, type of disability, cooperation, medical history, occupation of the parent and patient's behaviour towards oral hygiene and dental healthcare. The second proforma had the dental care provider's perspective about the common disabilities, factors that affect the decision to provide treatment, difficulties patients face in getting their dental treatment and, from the dentist's experience, recommendations to improve the access to dental care for patients with SCN. Statistical analysis was carried out by using SPSS version 22.0. The demographic features, caregiver's perception about oral healthcare accessibility and dental professional's point of view were presented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was applied to compare the proportions. The majority of the caregivers were satisfied with the dental service providers (91.9%) for their patients with SCN. The dental care provider's survey results indicated a shortage of dentists (54.7%) in the region and other factors that pose challenges to special care, like the severity of the disability of patients with SCN (50%), family structure (46.7%), treatment cost (35.6%) and transportation (32.8%). Patients with SCN in Saudi Arabia had a high appraisal of access to dental care and were very satisfied with dental treatment results. However, the presence of a dental care provider in the same rehabilitation centre was a major concern. The severity of the disability and the patient's cooperation were the major factors that may have affected the decision of the dental care provider.

Dental radiographic changes in individuals with COVID-19: a controlled retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to compare the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 dental radiological findings of individuals with positive rRT-PCR test results and with healthy controls using the apical periodontitis grade scale (APGS), radiographic-based periodontal bone loss (R-PBL), and radiographic DMFT indices, and to investigate the relatively long-term dental effects of COVID-19.

METHODS

This study included people who had two panoramic radiographs taken between 2018 and 2022. There are 52 patients with positive rRT-PCR tests in the study group. The control group included 50 individuals. Study and control groups were compared using the apical periodontitis grade scale (APGS), radiographic-based periodontal bone loss (R-PBL), and radiographic DMFT indices.

RESULTS

Although results showed a significant difference in percentage R-PBL value and R-PBL types in the study group, there was no significant difference in percentage R-PBL value and R-PBL types in the control group. Also, both groups showed a significant difference in the DMFT index.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results of this study, it can be said that COVID-19 increases the incidence of periodontitis, and it can be interpreted that the pandemic may adversely affect the general oral health of all people.

An Ethical Analysis Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Oral Healthcare in Patients with Mental Disorders

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictive measures were imposed that significantly impacted the healthcare system in general, and the dental healthcare system in particular. The literature cites a possible association between mental and oral health, as psychiatric patients have decreased awareness of their oral health and, therefore, poor dental status. Moreover, several studies have found a positive association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and oral health conditions, as well as between SARS-CoV-2 infection and mental health status. This context generated multiple ethical dilemmas in the case of persons with mental health disorders who require dental treatment because they are more vulnerable in this respect. This article aims to analyze the ethical issues in dental care for patients with mental disorders concerning the COVID-19 restrictive measures. The ethical aspects involved here are the basic principles of bioethics and the related elements of accessibility, equity, consent, and confidentiality.