ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the effect COVID-19 pandemic had on orthodontic patients during the lockdown phase as well as to determine the knowledge of patients regarding the COID-19 disease, its spread, its symptoms, and its prevention. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. It was carried out by distributing a self-administered questionnaire to 300 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment via electronic mail and whatsapp platfortm. The questionnaire assessed the knowledge of the patient regarding the COVID-19 disease, the impact it had on their orthodontic treatment, and their perception of risk and their attitude towards the COVID-19 disease. Result(s): 274 out of 300 patients responded to our questionnaires;Out of them 73% were females and 47.3% were males. A large number of patients were able to correctly identify the cause, spread, symptoms, and necessary measures needed to be taken to contain the disease. Although majority of the patients considered COVID-19 to be severely dangerous and felt highly vulnerable to the disease;54.5% were still willing to continue their treatment during the pandemic. The main reason for their willingness was the fear of increased missed appointments leading to increase in treatment time and cost. Conclusion(s): The pandemic has had an adverse impact on orthodontic treatment regardless. Nevertheless, patients were still inclined to continue their treatment with appropriate infection control and precautionary measures observed both by the patients themselves and the orthodontic clinical staff. Copyright © 2022 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine patient concerns and anxiety regarding orthodontic treatment and appointments during COVID-19 Pandemic Methodology: After approval from Sharif Medical Research Center (SMRC) and the Ethics Committee of Sharif Medical City Hospital (SMCH), 247 orthodontic patients were selected from the Orthodontics Department of SMCH, Lahore, who had ongoing orthodontic treatment. The total duration of the study was two and a half months from 12th March to 30th May 2021. Data was analyzed by IBM SPSS version 25. Percentages of the responses in each domain of the questionnaire were calculated. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied where applicable to determine the significance of associations between different variables, with p<0.05 taken as significant. Results: Two hundred and forty seven patients were sent the questionnaire links, while 213 patients responded, out of which 132 were females and 81 were males, with mean age 22.81±2.93 years. Anxiety about the coronavirus pandemic ranged from 5.32 ±2.30. Patients were particularly concerned about the length of time it would take to complete their orthodontic treatment as a result of quarantine (55.9 percent). 5.68±2.15 was the mean anxiety level. Conclusion: The quarantine recommended due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted orthodontic appointments and patients' anxieties and anxiety, since a statistically significant correlation was established between quarantine and coronavirus sentiments and orthodontic appointment willingness. Males were more willing to get braces than females. Delay in treatment end, bracket breaking, and growing malocclusion were patients' top concerns. Patients said the most critical precaution in orthodontics was changing the dentists' disposable lab coats after every visit to avoid cross-contamination.