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Wu JH, Lee MK, Lee CY, Chen NH, Lin YC, Chen KK, Lee KT, Du JK. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the utilization of dental services and attitudes of dental residents at the emergency department of a medical center in Taiwan. J Dent Sci 2021; 16:868-876. [PMID: 33425239 PMCID: PMC7783462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jds.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/purpose Dental visits are a high risk activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the utilization of emergency dental services and clinical practical attitudes of dental residents in this period. Materials and methods Retrospective chart data from 13th November 2019 to 31st March 2020 in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan were used. We obtained electronic medical records to review data from 515 patients who visited the emergency department with dental complaints and we contacted the 26 residents assigned to act as primary care providers to participate in this study. Results After the COVID-19 outbreak, 17% fewer patients had dental emergency utilization at a hospital emergency center relative to the previous period. A survey of residents also showed a decline in the number of patients. There were no significant differences of patients' problems and diagnoses between the two periods. After the COVID-19 outbreak, 61.5% of the residents were afraid of being infected by a patient's disease and the proportions of dentists wearing waterproof gowns, face shields, and surgical hair caps were 76.9%, 88.5%, and 76.3%, respectively. These variables increased significantly after the outbreak of COVID-19. Conclusion Despite the trend of a decreased number of patients, their utilization of dental emergency services seems to be similar before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, possibly related to strict hospital infection control policies and the relatively low number of COVID-19 confirmed patients internationally at that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Hui Wu
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Oral Hygiene, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Min-Kang Lee
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yi Lee
- Department of Oral Hygiene, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Nien-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chun Lin
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Oral Hygiene, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ker-Kong Chen
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Tsung Lee
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Oral Hygiene, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Je-Kang Du
- Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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