Psychological and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first stages of the pandemic: Brazilian orthodontists´ perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Brazil faced a catastrophic situation in the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the high risk of contamination and spread of COVID-19, dentist have been attending only urgency and emergency services in Brazil at the beginning of the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to evaluate the psychological and financial impacts caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Brazilian orthodontists. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 404 orthodontists. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress were evaluated through Brazilian versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (9-PHQ), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and Mini-Tracking (GAD), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), respectively. The demographic data of the sample was described using descriptive statistics. The data was analyzed according to sex, professional status, and economic income. Comparisons were performed using Chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kruskal-Wallis followed by post-hoc tests. RESULTS: Females, graduate students, and lower incomes subgroups showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress. Most orthodontists showed moderate to extreme financial and professional concerns during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The coronavirus pandemic negatively affected the psychological health and increased the financial concerns of the Brazilian orthodontists, mainly female, graduate students, and with income below 10k participants.

Healthcare Workers in Brazil during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey.

Brazil is in a critical situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers that are in the front line face challenges with a shortage of personal protective equipment, high risk of contamination, low adherence to the social distancing measures by the population, low coronavirus testing with underestimation of cases, and also financial concerns due to the economic crisis in a developing country. This study compared the impact of COVID-19 pandemic among three categories of healthcare workers in Brazil: physicians, nurses, and dentists, about workload, income, protection, training, feelings, behavior, and level of concern and anxiety. The sample was randomly selected and a Google Forms questionnaire was sent by WhatsApp messenger. The survey comprised questions about jobs, income, workload, PPE, training for COVID-19 patient care, behavior and feelings during the pandemic. The number of jobs reduced for all healthcare workers in Brazil during the pandemic, but significantly more for dentists. The workload and income reduced to all healthcare workers. Most healthcare workers did not receive proper training for treating COVID-19 infected patients. Physicians and nurses were feeling more tired than usual. Most of the healthcare workers in all groups reported difficulties in sleeping during the pandemic. The healthcare workers reported a significant impact of COVID-19 pandemic in their income, workload and anxiety, with differences among physicians, nurses and dentists.

The Use of Facemasks During the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Brazilian Population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of facemasks by the Brazilian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 1277 participants who answered a web-based open survey with questions about the use of facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics with percentages was performed, and the responses were analyzed with chi-square and independent t-tests. RESULTS: A total of 1277 answered the questionnaire, and most participants were female (81.8%). Almost all the participants (99.1%) reported wearing facemasks, and 34.2% are wearing just because it is mandatory; 65.8% would continue to wear masks even if it was not mandatory. Most subjects (50.4%) believe that masks' use effectively prevents infection by the novel coronavirus. Reusable fabric facemasks are the most used by the participants (49.5%). Almost all subjects were wearing masks to go to crowded and public places. Most respondents (67.3%) are bothered with the use of facemasks, and the most cited reason for the discomfort was feeling trapped or suffocated (58.9%). DISCUSSION: The use of facemasks can help prevent the COVID-19, but it is most effective at reducing the spread of the virus when the general population's compliance is high. Some factors that limit the population's compliance with the use of masks are discomfort and a sense of embarrassment. Media campaigns and public health promotion activities supported by governmental agencies can increase the use of facemasks by the population. CONCLUSION: The mean level of anxiety with the COVID-19 pandemic was 6.18. Almost all the participants were wearing facemasks, and they believe that its use effectively prevents infection by the novel coronavirus. Reusable fabric facemasks are the most used by the participants. Almost all subjects were wearing masks to go to crowded and public places. The great majority of the participants feel more protected with the use of facemasks.

Urgencies and emergencies in orthodontics during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Brazilian orthodontists' experience.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to evaluate the most common urgencies and emergencies in orthodontics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to assess how orthodontists in Brazil were dealing with patients and challenges. METHODS: Early in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, routine dental care was suspended in many countries, and only patients needing urgent or emergency care could be seen. During this period, orthodontists in Brazil were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Over 48 hours (May 1-3, 2020), 395 orthodontists (specialists, MScs, and PhDs) responded. They answered questions regarding dental office and appointments during the pandemic, the type of urgency or emergency care provided, the type of appliance and urgencies, etc. The level of concern about the impact of the pandemic on patients' orthodontic treatments and the financial impact on the dental office was also evaluated. Descriptive statistics were performed with percentages, and responses were compared between specialists, MScs, and PhDs, using chi-square tests. RESULTS: Specialists were the majority of respondents. Most orthodontists were handling only emergencies or urgencies. The most frequent urgencies were bracket breakage, archwire breakage, and breakage of molar tubes and/or bands. Stainless steel fixed appliances were the most common type of appliance related to unscheduled appointments. The majority of patients got in touch with the orthodontist using the professional WhatsApp messenger (WhatsApp Inc, Menlo Park, Calif). Orthodontists were more concerned with the financial impact of the pandemic than with the orthodontic treatment itself. CONCLUSIONS: Breakage of brackets, archwires, or tubes and/or bands were the most common causes of urgency and/or emergency appointments during the pandemic. The level of concern about the financial impact of the stay-at-home orders and the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly greater for specialists and MScs than for PhDs.

Impact of coronavirus pandemic in appointments and anxiety/concerns of patients regarding orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the quarantine in orthodontic appointments, and patients' anxiety and concerns about their ongoing orthodontic treatment. SETTINGS AND SAMPLE POPULATION: Patients from private dental clinics of two orthodontists that were undergoing active orthodontic treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online anonymous questionnaire regarding their anxiety about the coronavirus situation, availability/acceptance to attend an appointment, among others, was answered by orthodontic patients. Descriptive statistics with percentages was performed and responses were compared between sexes, cities, and association of the feelings/level of anxiety of patients and willingness to attend an appointment were performed with chi-square, independent t test, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by 354 patients (231 female; 123 male) with mean age of 35.49 years. Most patients are respecting the quarantine, 44.7% related to be calm and 46.3% afraid or anxious. The level of anxiety was greater for females than males. There was significant association of the level of anxiety and the willingness to attend an appointment. The greatest concern of patients was delay in the end of treatment. CONCLUSION: The quarantine and coronavirus pandemic showed to have impact on orthodontic appointments and patients' anxiety. Patients willing to attend an orthodontic appointment presented significantly lower level of anxiety than patients that would not go or would go only in urgency/emergency. Females were more anxious than males about coronavirus pandemic, quarantine and impact on their orthodontic treatments. Delay in treatment was the greatest concern of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.