Dental emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oradea, Romania: patients’ gender and living environment, and the location of affected teeth

Abstract

Aim and objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the location of the affected teeth in patients who were treated in the Dental Emergency Department from Oradea, during the lockdown period (2020), and to compare the characteristics identified during the lockdown with those identified in the pre-lockdown year (2019) and post-lockdown year (2021). Material and methods. This retrospective study was conducted on patients who were treated for a dental emergency in the Department of Dental Emergency from Oradea, in the following time periods: March-May 2019, March-May 2020 and March-May 2021. The investigated variables were patients’ gender, patients’ living environment and the location of the affected teeth. Results. 634 patients were treated in 2019, 784 in 2020, and 560 in 2021. In all investigated time periods, the most affected teeth were located in the lower posterior area of the dental arches (from 38.8% to 55.7%). In most of the investigated months, patients’ gender was not statistically significant associated with the location of the affected teeth, but in April 2020, it was observed that female patients were more frequently associated with treated teeth located in the lower posterior area (54.4%) than in the upper posterior area (37.8%), while male patients were more frequently associated with treated teeth located in the upper posterior area (62.2%) than in the lower posterior area (45.6%). In most of the investigated months, there were no associations between patients’ living environment and the location of affected teeth, but in April 2021, it was observed that patients from the rural environment were more frequently associated with treated teeth located in the upper anterior area (54.2%) than treated teeth located in the lower anterior area (0%) while patients from the urban environment were more frequently associated with treated teeth located in the lower anterior area (100%) than treated teeth located in the upper anterior area (45.8%). Conclusions. Preventive programs that address male and female patients, as well as rural and urban patients would be helpful.