Pediatric emergency dental visits at king abdulaziz university dental hospital during the covid-19 lockdown: A retrospective study

31^st American Dental Congress & 27^th American World Dentistry Congress

September 15, 2022 | Webinar

Sara Alhabli

BDs; Pediatric Dentistry Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Oral Heath Case Rep

Abstract :

In December of 2019, the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first appeared, and quickly spread to become a worldwide pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and types of pediatric dental emergencies during the Covid-19 lockdown in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the University Dental Hospital (UDH) of King Abdulaziz University (KAU) and identified the management provided to these dental emergency visits. Materials and Methods: Data collection was done retrospectively from electronic dental records for children aged 0-18 that attended the UDH emergency clinic during the period from March 1st, 2020, to September 30th, 2020. An electronic form formulated specifically for this study was used to collect the required data from electronic patient records including demographic data, emergency classification, management, and referrals. Results: A total of 3146 patients were seen at the emergency clinics during this period, of which 661 were children (21%). Types of emergency conditions included 0.8% emergency cases, 34% urgent, and 65.2% non-urgent conditions. Severe dental pain (73.1%) and abscesses (20%) were the most common urgent dental conditions. Most non-urgent conditions presented for initial or periodic visits, recalls, or for routine radiographs (74%). Treatments rarely involved restorations, with 8% among urgent conditions and 5.4% among non-urgent conditions. Antibiotics were only prescribed to 6.9% of urgent conditions. Conclusions: The largest group of children presenting at the emergency dental clinics were found to be children with non-urgent conditions. Tele dentistry can be a solution to avoid large numbers of non-urgent patients presenting to emergency clinics. Additionally, dental care for non-urgent conditions during the pandemic should focus more on procedures with less aerosol generation.

Biography :

Dr. Sara Alhabli is an enthusiastic pediatric dentist. She enjoys treating pediatric patients while at the same time educating both children and their parents about the importance of oral health. She has been involved in multiple oral health awareness campaigns and volunteer projects. Dr. Sara grew up in San Jose, California. She then went on to study a bachelor’s degree in Dental Medicine and Surgery from King Abdulaziz University. She then continued to study Pediatric Dentistry from the same University.