Department of Management and Logistics in Healthcare, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland.
Center of Security Technologies in Logistics, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz, 90-237 Lodz, Poland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 15;19(4):2183. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042183.
Proper oral health care has an impact on the health of the entire body. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of the healthcare sector, including dental services. The aim of this study was to analyse the behaviour of patients with regard to their use of dental services during the pandemic. The data were obtained from paper registration forms taken from five dental offices in the city of Cracow between March 2019 and February 2021. During the analysed periods, interest among first-time patients in dental services decreased to 37% (during the month when interest in dental services was at its lowest) compared to the year preceding the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cancelled visits increased by between 15% and 50% compared to the pre-pandemic period. During the pandemic, appointments made by existing patients increased by up to 84% compared to 2019. The decision by patients to postpone dental treatment not only has adverse effects on their oral and body health, but in turn results in higher health care costs. Given the potential for another pandemic, further long-term research is required to develop and implement special protocols to make the public aware of the safety of health care.
良好的口腔保健对全身健康都有影响。COVID-19 大流行影响了医疗保健部门的运作，包括牙科服务。本研究旨在分析患者在大流行期间使用牙科服务的行为。数据来自于 2019 年 3 月至 2021 年 2 月期间在克拉科夫市的五家牙科诊所的纸质登记表格。在分析期间，与 COVID-19 大流行前一年相比，首次对牙科服务感兴趣的患者人数下降到 37%（在对牙科服务最不感兴趣的月份）。与大流行前相比，取消的预约增加了 15% 到 50%。在大流行期间，与 2019 年相比，现有患者的预约增加了高达 84%。患者决定推迟牙科治疗不仅对他们的口腔和身体健康有不利影响，而且反过来又会导致更高的医疗保健费用。鉴于可能再次发生大流行，需要进一步进行长期研究，以制定和实施特殊方案，使公众认识到医疗保健的安全性。
