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Pattern of pediatric emergency dental care during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Dalia E Meisha1, Amal Al-Khotani2, Sultana A Alhurishi3
1Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Objective:
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was recommended to provide emergency dental care and avoid aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) when possible. This study aimed to determine how Saudi Arabian pediatric patients utilized emergency dental services at the national level at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and what situations required an AGP.
Methods:
Data was collected from all Ministry of Health dental facilities in Saudi Arabia between March and May 2020. All pediatric dental patients who received emergency dental care during the COVID-19 lockdown were included in this study.
Results:
The majority of the 1,544 pediatric dental patients who received emergency dental care during this period received treatment for caries (77.9 %). AGPs were predominant in the treatment of urgent dental conditions (51.5 %). About 64 % of cases with pulpal inflammation and 52.4 % with abscesses underwent an AGP.
Conclusion:
Emergency and urgent dental conditions were the main reason for seeking dental care during the pandemic (75.8 %), while only 24.2 % of cases were considered non-urgent. Despite the recommendations, AGPs were required for some urgent conditions to relieve the associated pain, and this comprised 46.8 % of dental treatment provided.
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