Oral Healthcare Services Delivered During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Report from Eastern Mediterranean Region

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe oral healthcare services administered during the lockdown in the Eastern Mediterranean region and to investigate the role of socio-professional characteristics of dental practitioners or their self-reported COVID-19 infection. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to dental practitioners in all healthcare sectors in Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Results: There was a total of 335 participants, with the majority being females (N=225, 67.2%) and general practitioners (N=202, 60.3%). Cellulitis was the most common emergency encountered (N=108). The most common urgent procedures were for pulpitis, abscesses, and pericoronitis (N=191, 130, and 95, respectively). Country-specific significant associations were pulpitis in Egypt and Jordan, broken symptomatic teeth in Jordan, and biopsy in Egypt (p<0.05). The Ministry of Health was significantly associated with the management of dental infections, avulsion, and orthodontic emergencies, while university hospitals were significantly associated with advanced restorative procedures (p<0.05). Male practitioners performed significantly more procedures, particularly surgical emergencies (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dental infections were the most common complaints among dental patients during lockdown. Countryand sector-specific dental procedures are detected. Male gender seems to play a determinant role in performing a higher number of procedures, particularly for surgical emergencies (AU).

Why do Women avoid Dental Visits During Pregnancy? A Cross- Sectional Survey in Al Madinah, Western Saudi Arabia

Objective: To investigate why women avoid dental visits during pregnancy and to explore the possible association between this attitude and relevant socio-demographic factors. Material and Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to pregnant women during their routine visits to antenatal clinics in Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire explored socio-demographic factors of age, education, employment status and nationality. It also explored misconceptions/ reasons for avoiding dental visits during pregnancy. Results: A total of 360 pregnant women participated, and their mean age was 30.08 years (range=18-52 years, SD=5.96). The most commonly cited misconception/reason for avoiding dental visits was "local anesthesia is not safe during pregnancy", followed by "transportation is difficult" and lastly, "dental treatment is not safe during pregnancy", (43.6%, 37.5%, 18.9%, respectively). Illiterate participants were statistically significantly associated with the misconception of "unsafe dental treatment during pregnancy" (p=0.002), whereas school-level and unemployed participants were statistically significantly associated with the misconception of "unsafe local anesthesia during pregnancy" (p=0.02, p=0.036 respectively). Conclusion: Pregnant women avoid dental visits mainly due to the misconception that local anesthesia is not safe during pregnancy. Difficult transportation seems to be another important deterrent in preventing pregnant women to visit dentists in this geographic area. Changing the misconceptions should be the starting point in addressing this public health problem and this should involve the three parties involved: pregnant women, oral healthcare providers and obstetric care providers.

Assessing Expectant Mothers' Knowledge and Beliefs about Oral Healthcare During Infancy and Pregnancy: A Cross Sectional Survey in Saudi Arabia

Objective: To evaluate expectant mothers' knowledge and beliefs on oral healthcare of infants. It also aimed at exploring their knowledge on oral health care during pregnancy and the possible relationship between oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among expectant mothers attending antenatal clinics in Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia in summer, 2017. Questions collected data on sociodemographic characteristics of the study sample as well as basic knowledge on oral healthcare during pregnancy and infancy. There were also questions on knowledge about adverse pregnancy outcomes that may be associated with poor oral health. Results: A convenient sample of 360 pregnant women participated in the study. A percentage of 79.7% showed a good level of knowledge in oral healthcare of infants while a percentage of 8.9% only showed a good level of knowledge in oral healthcare during pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. Education level and employment status were significantly associated the good level of knowledge in oral healthcare of infants (p=0.000, and 0.002 respectively). Conclusion: Most of expectant mothers, particularly educated and employed ones, have good knowledge on oral healthcare of infants, however, the majority lacked sufficient knowledge on pregnancy outcomes and oral healthcare during pregnancy.