Objective: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on the healthcare system worldwide. To prevent the spread of the disease, a nationwide lockdown was imposed in Türkiye from March 17 to June 1, 2020. During the lockdown period, a limited number of emergency/urgent dental procedures were performed. This study aims to report the influence of COVID-19 lockdown on urgent dental services in Türkiye. Material and Methods: The number of referrals during the lockdown period to public dental hospitals open for 24 hours period were compared with those during the same time period in 2019. Results: A significant effect of the lockdown on the number of referrals were found. The highest number of referrals was related to oral surgical procedures (86.65%). Although the number of procedures performed decreased significantly, a marked increase was noted in the rate of prescription. Conclusion: Despite the limitations, the results of this study provide insights into the planning of emergency dental services in the event of future lockdowns. A dedicated team and human resources should be assigned considering the high frequency of oral surgical procedures. An increase in the rate of prescription could be a reason for the progression of odontogenic infections in the forthcoming period.
Keywords: COVID-19; dentistry; emergencies; oral surgical procedures; pandemics
Amaç: Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 [coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)], tüm dünyada sağlık sistemi üzerinde büyük bir etki meydana getirmiştir. Hastalığın ilerleyişini durdurmak amacıyla Türkiye'de 17 Mart-1 Haziran 2020 dönemi arasında ulusal çapta kapanma dönemi uygulanmıştır. Kapanma dönemi süresince kısıtlı sayıda acil diş hekimliği tedavisi uygulanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, COVID-19 kapanmasının Türkiye'deki acil diş hekimliği hizmetlerine yönelik etkisinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Kapanma döneminde 24 saat süreyle açık kamu ağız diş sağlığı hastanelerine yapılan başvurular, 2019 yılının aynı zaman aralığı ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Bulgular: Kapanma döneminin, başvuru sayısı üzerine önemli düzeyde etkisi olduğu sonucu belirlenmiştir. Başvuru nedenlerinin büyük bir kısmının, ağız cerrahisi işlemlerine yönelik olduğu saptanmıştır (%86,65). Uygulanan işlem sayısı, ciddi düzeyde azalmakla birlikte reçete yazma oranında belirgin bir artış tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç: Bu çalışmanın sonuçları, gelecekteki olası kapanma dönemlerine yönelik olarak acil diş hekimliği hizmetlerinin planlamasına göre farkındalık oluşturmayı amaçlamaktadır. İş gücü planlanması ve insan kaynaklarının yönetiminde, ağız cerrahisi işlemlerinin yüksek oranı göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır. Reçete yazma oranlarındaki artış, ilerleyen dönemde odontojenik enfeksiyonların artışına ilişkin bir gerekçe olarak sunulabilir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19; diş hekimliği; aciller; oral cerrahi işlemleri; pandemik
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