Authors:	Hell, Charlott Luise Deschner, James Ziskoven, Pablo Cores Mildenberger, Philipp Weusmann, Jens
Title:	Interplay of pandemic and seasonal parameters in dental emergency service
Online publication date:	18-Apr-2023
Year of first publication:	2022
Language:	english
Abstract:	Background To evaluate the relationship between pandemic events and dental emergency service frequentation. Utilization patterns in the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed and considered in regard of seasonal parameters. Methods All outpatients seeking treatment in a university hospital’s dental emergency service were analyzed in the years 2019, 2019 and 2020 according to demographic data and emergencies were subdivided into “absolute” and “relative”. The years 2018 and 2019 were used to compare COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 phases. Defined waves of the pandemic were compared with equivalent prior-year periods. Results Our study includes 11,219 dental emergency patients over a period of three years with a slight surplus of male patients. Comparing the pre-COVID-19 years and 2020 as a year of pandemic, the total count of cases decreased by more than 25%. The share of absolute emergencies in 2020 was higher than in the years before (p < 0.0001). The under-utilization during the waves was more pronounced during the first wave compared to the second waves. Conclusions Additionally to the clear decrease by more than 25% in 2020, we found an inverse dependency of 7-day-incidence of COVID-19 and number of visits. This effect was more distinct for relative emergencies, while the number of patients with absolute emergencies remains rather constant. Probably, there is an acclimatization effect regarding the waves. Patients older than 60 years who suffered from relative emergencies showed an under-utilzation during 2020. During a pandemic such as COVID-19, the effect of under-utilization is more pronounced among elderly patients. However, a pandemic acclimatization effect seems to occur. This can be taken into account in the administration of this kind of circumstances in the future.
DDC:	610 Medizin 610 Medical sciences
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 04 Medizin
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-8897
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Document type specification:	Scientific article
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	BMC oral health 22
Pages or article number:	475
Publisher:	BioMed Central
Publisher place:	London
Issue date:	2022
ISSN:	1472-6831
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02524-4
Publisher DOI:	10.1186/s12903-022-02524-4
Appears in collections:	DFG-491381577-G