Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
2. ULUSLARARASI TÜRK-JAPON DİŞ HEKİMLİĞİ KONGRESİ, Ankara, Türkiye, 24 - 26 Haziran 2021, ss.143
Introduction/Purpose: The COVID-19 epidemic, has affected Turkey and the whole world in
all aspects of life and led to significant changes in the course of dental treatments. The fact that the disease is mainly transmitted by contact and droplets carries a great risk of transmission
during dental treatments and is a cause of concern for the dentists who are providing the dental treatment, the assistant healthcare professionals and the patients. Lack of knowledge about the disease at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic caused the society and healthcare professionals to refrain from dental treatments, and only urgent dental treatments were recommended at that period. The aim of this study was to compare the number and types of
dental treatments before, at the beginning and during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining
the archive data of pediatric patients who applied to Atatürk University Faculty of Dentistry
Department of Pedodontics for dental treatment between March and April months from 2019
to 2021.
Method: For our retrospective study, automation records of Atatürk University Faculty of
Dentistry Department of Pedodontics were used. The number of patients applied, restorative treatments, pulpatomies, root canal treatments, space maintainers and caries prophylaxis applications were evaluated.
Findings: According to the evaluated automation records, the number of patients and dental treatment procedures performed at the beginning of the pandemic has decreased by 25% and
28%, respectively, in comparison to the pre-pandemic. Also, compared to the pre-pandemic,
the number of incoming patients decreased to 54% after the pandemic, but the number of
endodontic treatments was doubled up. The dental treatment procedures rates applied in our
clinic before, at the beginning and after the pandemic were respectively found as the following: 60%, 69% and 194% for restorative treatments, 16%, 20% and 57% for endodontic treatments; 19%, 34% and 149% for caries prophylaxis and 4%, 6% and 3% for space maintainers. An
increase in endodontic treatments, restorative treatments and preventive applications (2, 1.8 and
4.2 times, respectively) and a decrease in space maintainers applications (0.4 times) was observed after the pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic.
Conclusion: Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the fact that the access to dental treatments was more difficult in 2020 has paved the way for the formation of new caries and the progress of
existing caries. With the new normalization process of 2021, the fact that access to dental treatment centers has become easier and that people's need for dental treatment has increased,
dentists have a greater responsibility than before the pandemic. As a result, the increase in
treatments performed after the first year of the COVID-19 epidemic is remarkable.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric dental patient, dental treatment.