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Research article
Changes in the characteristics of dental emergencies under the influence of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A retrospective study
Chengge Hua
Sichuan University West China College of Stomatology
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4652-0816
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This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background Further understanding of the distribution and changing characteristics of dental diseases is of great significance for all dental emergency centers for strengthening the medical staff’s treatment abilities and effective use of emergency resources in the face of public health emergencies involving highly infectious respiratory diseases.
Methods The medical records of 4158 cases of dental emergency patients from 2019 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, with patients divided into the pre-SARS-COV-2 group and the SARS-COV-2 group, according to the date of their admission to the dental emergency center. The dental emergency patients’ demographic data, date and time, diagnoses, and treatment approaches were compared before and during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Results During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, the number of dental emergency visits increased by 29.7%. The peak of the number of patients at weekends and at night is not obvious compared with the pre-SARS-COV-2 group. During the pandemic, males (n=286, 58.1%) were more likely to visit dental emergency centers for trauma than females (n=206, 41.9%) (P<0.05); females (n=242, 60.8%) were more likely to visit dental emergency centers for acute gingivitis and acute pericoronitis than males (n=156, 39.2%) (P<0.05). A major change in diagnosis was related to acute pulpitis (K04.0) and acute apical periodontitis (K04.4), which increased by 9.2%; acute gingivitis (K05.0) and acute pericoronitis (K05.2) increased by 3.5%; open wound of the lip and oral cavity (S01.5) decreased by 17.9%; other conditions (non-emergency diseases) increased by 6.8%, compared with the pre-SARS-COV-2 period. Among the treatment modalities, during the pre-SARS-COV-2 period, 304 patients (17.7%) received a prescription for antibiotics and analgesics, and 1485 (86.5%) received a prescription for local treatment. During the SARS-COV-2 period, 958 (39.2%) received a prescription for antibiotics and analgesics, and 1636 (67.0%) received a prescription for local treatment.
Conclusion SARS-COV-2 pandemic led to changes in the characteristics of dental emergency patients. Trauma, acute pulpitis, and acute periodontitis are the leading reasons patients refer to dental emergency centers. Dental emergency centers should optimize treatment procedures, optimize the staff, and reasonably allocate materials according to the changes to improve the on-site treatment capacity and provide adequate dental emergency care.
Keywords
Dental emergency patients, Demographics, Diagnoses, Treatment, SARS-COV-2
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Reviewer #2 agreed
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Review #1 received
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On 21 Aug, 2020
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Editorial decision: Major revision
On 02 Jul, 2020
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Review #1 received
Received 24 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 02 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
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Editor assigned
On 11 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 10 May, 2020
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Subject Areas
Dentistry
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Oral Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Changes in the characteristics of dental emergencies under the influence of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A retrospective study
Chengge Hua
Sichuan University West China College of Stomatology
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4652-0816
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 4
Posted 11 Jan, 2021
No community comments so far
Editor assigned
On 25 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 25 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 25 Dec, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 16 Dec, 2020
Editor assigned
On 15 Nov, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 15 Nov, 2020
Editor invited
On 15 Nov, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 01 Nov, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 26 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 19 Oct, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 13 Sep, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 21 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 21 Aug, 2020
Editor assigned
On 03 Aug, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 02 Aug, 2020
Editor invited
On 02 Aug, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 02 Jul, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 28 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 24 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 02 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 27 May, 2020
Editor assigned
On 11 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 10 May, 2020
Editor invited
On 10 May, 2020
First submitted
On 09 May, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Dentistry
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background Further understanding of the distribution and changing characteristics of dental diseases is of great significance for all dental emergency centers for strengthening the medical staff’s treatment abilities and effective use of emergency resources in the face of public health emergencies involving highly infectious respiratory diseases.
Methods The medical records of 4158 cases of dental emergency patients from 2019 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, with patients divided into the pre-SARS-COV-2 group and the SARS-COV-2 group, according to the date of their admission to the dental emergency center. The dental emergency patients’ demographic data, date and time, diagnoses, and treatment approaches were compared before and during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Results During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, the number of dental emergency visits increased by 29.7%. The peak of the number of patients at weekends and at night is not obvious compared with the pre-SARS-COV-2 group. During the pandemic, males (n=286, 58.1%) were more likely to visit dental emergency centers for trauma than females (n=206, 41.9%) (P<0.05); females (n=242, 60.8%) were more likely to visit dental emergency centers for acute gingivitis and acute pericoronitis than males (n=156, 39.2%) (P<0.05). A major change in diagnosis was related to acute pulpitis (K04.0) and acute apical periodontitis (K04.4), which increased by 9.2%; acute gingivitis (K05.0) and acute pericoronitis (K05.2) increased by 3.5%; open wound of the lip and oral cavity (S01.5) decreased by 17.9%; other conditions (non-emergency diseases) increased by 6.8%, compared with the pre-SARS-COV-2 period. Among the treatment modalities, during the pre-SARS-COV-2 period, 304 patients (17.7%) received a prescription for antibiotics and analgesics, and 1485 (86.5%) received a prescription for local treatment. During the SARS-COV-2 period, 958 (39.2%) received a prescription for antibiotics and analgesics, and 1636 (67.0%) received a prescription for local treatment.
Conclusion SARS-COV-2 pandemic led to changes in the characteristics of dental emergency patients. Trauma, acute pulpitis, and acute periodontitis are the leading reasons patients refer to dental emergency centers. Dental emergency centers should optimize treatment procedures, optimize the staff, and reasonably allocate materials according to the changes to improve the on-site treatment capacity and provide adequate dental emergency care.
Figure 1