Pediatric Dental Emergencies during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Romania

A Retrospective Study

Bibliographic Data

ID15715745
AuthorsAbel Emanuel Moca (0000-0002-7275-9986, University of Oradea), Raluca Iurcov (0000-0002-2953-3842, University of Oradea, corresponding author), Gabriela Ciavoi (0000-0003-1417-5963, University of Oradea), Rahela Tabita Moca (0000-0001-5666-9932, University of Oradea), Lucian Roman Șipoș (University of Oradea)
Year2023
Volume10
Issue5
Pages807-807
Publication date2023-04-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/children10050807
PMID37238355
OpenAlexW4367626961
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited11

Pediatric dental emergencies can occur as a result of untreated dental caries, or can be caused by trauma or periodontal issues. The lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of centers authorized to deliver dental services in Romania, with only a small number of dentists delivering dental emergency treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic characteristics of children and adolescent patients who were treated in the dental emergency department of Oradea, Romania and to compare the patients who were treated in the dental emergency department in the pre-lockdown (2019), lockdown (2020) and post-lockdown year (2021). All patients who were treated in the dental emergency department were included in the study except for adults and medical files that did not contain all relevant information. Several variables were investigated (age, gender, living environment, location of affected teeth, type of emergency). In 2019, 257 children and adolescents were treated, in 2020, 198, and in 2021, 136. Most patients were aged 7-12 years in all investigated years (2019-47.9%; 2020-50.5%; 2021-43.4%), and the most affected teeth were located in the lower posterior arch (2019-53.3%; 2020-53%; 2021-48.5%). The most frequent emergencies were pulpitis (2019-40.5%; 2020-43.9%) and acute apical periodontitis (2021-42.6%). It was observed that in 2019, patients aged between 0 and 6 years were more frequently associated with trauma ( p p p = 0.025), and in 2021, patients from rural areas were more frequently associated with pulpitis or acute apical periodontitis, and patients from urban areas were associated more frequently with periodontal emergencies ( p = 0.042). Pediatric patients with ages between 7 and 12 years old, who lived in an urban environment were most affected. Teeth located in the lower and upper posterior dental arches were most affected, and pulpitis or acute apical periodontitis were the most common pathologies

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Dental trauma · Emergency department · Medical emergency · Pandemic · Periodontitis · Retrospective cohort study · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Dentistry · Medicine · Oral health in cancer treatment · Emergency Medicine · Internal Medicine

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