TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Israeli Orthodontic Practice
T2 - A Clinic’s Activity and Patients’ Attitudes
AU - Tunis, Tatiana Sella
AU - Ratson, Tal
AU - Matalon, Shlomo
AU - Abba, Michael
AU - Abramson, Alex
AU - Davidovitch, Moshe
AU - Shpack, Nir
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/2/1
Y1 - 2022/2/1
N2 - The current study aimed to characterize the activity in orthodontic clinics during the COVID-19-induced lockdown and the inter-lockdown periods, as well as to evaluate patients’ perspectives with respect to their fears, their extent of cooperation with treatment, and their emergency needs during the lockdown. The data were gathered from 11 private orthodontic clinics from 1 January 2020 to 8 March 2021, which included three lockdowns and inter-lockdowns. Information specifying the number of admissions, missed appointments, and emergency visits was gathered. Four hundred and twenty-nine orthodontic patients treated in those clinics agreed to complete a questionnaire that evaluated their concerns and expectations, the treatment emergency issues, implementation of the orthodontist’s instructions, and contact with the clinical staff during lockdowns. There was a significant increase in the number of scheduled appointments during the inter-lockdown periods, compared with the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.001). No difference in the number of missed/canceled or emergency appointments was found between the different periods (p > 0.420). The majority (89.6%) of the emergency visits involved issues with appliances; 68.7% of the subjects were advised to present themselves at clinics. During the peaks of the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp rise in the number of missed and urgent appointments was not found. Reducing the number of orthodontic emergencies may assist in reducing patient fears.
AB - The current study aimed to characterize the activity in orthodontic clinics during the COVID-19-induced lockdown and the inter-lockdown periods, as well as to evaluate patients’ perspectives with respect to their fears, their extent of cooperation with treatment, and their emergency needs during the lockdown. The data were gathered from 11 private orthodontic clinics from 1 January 2020 to 8 March 2021, which included three lockdowns and inter-lockdowns. Information specifying the number of admissions, missed appointments, and emergency visits was gathered. Four hundred and twenty-nine orthodontic patients treated in those clinics agreed to complete a questionnaire that evaluated their concerns and expectations, the treatment emergency issues, implementation of the orthodontist’s instructions, and contact with the clinical staff during lockdowns. There was a significant increase in the number of scheduled appointments during the inter-lockdown periods, compared with the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.001). No difference in the number of missed/canceled or emergency appointments was found between the different periods (p > 0.420). The majority (89.6%) of the emergency visits involved issues with appliances; 68.7% of the subjects were advised to present themselves at clinics. During the peaks of the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp rise in the number of missed and urgent appointments was not found. Reducing the number of orthodontic emergencies may assist in reducing patient fears.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Canceled appointments
KW - Emergency visits
KW - Lockdown
KW - Orthodontics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124214036&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19041965
DO - 10.3390/ijerph19041965
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C2 - 35206151
AN - SCOPUS:85124214036
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 19
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 4
M1 - 1965
ER -