Dentists’ Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Sampling
2.2. Survey Instrument
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
Dentist Characteristics
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | Total n (%) | Years of Experience | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
<10 Years n (%) | ≥10 Years n (%) | p-Value * | ||
Total | 268 (100.0) | 117 (43.7) | 151 (56.3) | 0.116 |
Dental centers | ||||
Al-Amiri | 45 (16.8) | 19 (16.2) | 26 (17.2) | |
Al-Adan | 33 (12.3) | 12 (10.3) | 21 (13.9) | |
Jahra | 46 (17.2) | 15 (12.8) | 31 (20.5) | |
Farwaniya | 12 (4.5) | 4 (3.4) | 8 (5.3) | |
Jaber | 37 (13.8) | 20 (17.1) | 17 (11.3) | |
Bneid Al Gar | 37 (13.8) | 13 (11.1) | 24 (15.9) | |
SOHP | 43 (16.0) | 25 (21.4) | 18 (11.9) | |
Others | 15 (5.6) | 9 (7.7) | 6 (4.0) | |
Gender | 0.030 | |||
Male | 164 (61.2) | 63 (53.8) | 101 (66.9) | |
Female | 104 (38.8) | 54 (46.2) | 50 (33.1) | |
Age | <0.001 | |||
21–40 | 187 (69.8) | 114 (97.4) | 73 (48.3) | |
41–60 | 68 (25.4) | 3 (2.6) | 65 (43) | |
≥60 | 13 (4.9) | 0 (0.0) | 13 (8.6) | |
Nationality | 0.002 | |||
Kuwaiti | 162 (60.4) | 83 (70.9) | 79 (52.3) | |
Non-Kuwaiti | 106 (39.6) | 34 (29.1) | 72 (47.7) | |
Marital status | <0.001 | |||
Single | 75 (28.0) | 59 (50.4) | 16 (10.6) | |
Married | 184 (68.7) | 56 (47.9) | 128 (84.8) | |
Divorced | 9 (3.4) | 2 (1.7) | 7 (4.6) | |
Number of children | <0.001 | |||
<3 | 109 (40.7) | 34 (29.1) | 75 (49.7) | |
3 or more | 64 (23.9) | 9 (7.7) | 55 (36.4) | |
No children | 95 (35.4) | 74 (63.2) | 21 (13.9) | |
Level of education | <0.001 | |||
Bachelor | 86 (32.1) | 64 (54.7) | 22 (14.6) | |
Master | 89 (33.2) | 31 (26.5) | 58 (38.4) | |
Board/PhD | 93 (34.7) | 22 (18.8) | 71 (47.0) | |
Field of practice | <0.001 | |||
General dentist | 64 (23.9) | 54 (46.2) | 10 (6.6) | |
Pediatric dentistry | 47 (17.5) | 17 (14.5) | 30 (19.9) | |
Prosthodontics | 30 (11.2) | 10 (8.5) | 20 (13.2) | |
Orthodontics | 31 (11.6) | 10 (8.5) | 21 (13.9) | |
Periodontics | 21 (7.8) | 6 (5.1) | 15 (9.9) | |
Surgery | 33 (12.3) | 9 (7.7) | 24 (15.9) | |
Endodontics | 30 (11.2) | 9 (7.7) | 21 (13.9) | |
Others | 12 (4.5) | 2 (1.7) | 10 (6.6) |
Variables | Total n (%) | Before Lockdown n (%) | After Lockdown n (%) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
How many dental emergency patients do you attend to in a day? | ||||
1–2 | 92 (17.2) | 49 (18.3) | 43 (16.0) | <0.001 |
3–4 | 160 (29.9) | 73 (27.2) | 87 (32.5) | |
≥5 | 269 (50.2) | 140 (52.2) | 129 (48.1) | |
What is the most common age group of emergency patients you see? | ||||
<18 years old | 206 (38.4) | 99 (36.9) | 107 (39.9) | <0.001 |
18–40 years old | 196 (36.6) | 102 (38.1) | 94 (35.1) | |
40–65 years old | 41 (7.7) | 20 (7.5) | 21 (7.8) | |
>65 years old | 4 (0.8) | 1 (0.4) | 3 (1.1) | |
All age groups | 51 (9.6) | 27 (10.1) | 24 (9.0) | |
>40 years old | 30 (5.6) | 16 (6) | 14 (5.2) | |
What is the most common chief complaints of the patients you see? | ||||
Trauma | 21 (3.9) | 13 (4.9) | 8 (3.0) | <0.001 |
Pain | 173 (32.3) | 90 (33.6) | 83 (31) | |
Bleeding | 10 (1.9) | 8 (3.0) | 2 (0.7) | |
Swelling | 6 (1.2) | 1 (0.4) | 5 (1.9) | |
Pain, Swelling and Bleeding | 80 (14.9) | 40 (14.9) | 40 (14.9) | |
Pain and bleeding | 27 (5.0) | 10 (3.7) | 17 (6.3) | |
Pain and swelling | 83 (15.5) | 34 (12.7) | 49 (18.3) | |
Trauma, pain & swelling | 53 (9.9) | 32 (11.9) | 21 (7.8) | |
Others | 72 (13.4) | 36 (13.4) | 36 (13.4) | |
What were the most common dental diagnosis made at the emergency clinics for acute tooth ache? | ||||
Acute pulpitis | 178 (33.2) | 97 (36.2) | 81 (30.2) | <0.001 |
Acute periapical periodontitis | 38 (7.1) | 16 (6.0) | 22 (8.2) | |
Combined periodontic endodontic lesions | 19 (3.6) | 9 (3.4) | 10 (3.7) | |
Periodontitis | 26 (4.9) | 12 (4.5) | 14 (5.2) | |
Acute pulpitis, acute periapical periodontitis and combined periodontic endodontic lesions | 60 (11.2) | 31 (11.6) | 29 (10.8) | |
Pulpitis and periodontitis | 56 (10.5) | 30 (11.2) | 26 (9.7) | |
Acute pulpitis and apical periodontitis | 64 (11.9) | 28 (10.4) | 36 (13.4) | |
Others | 34 (6.3) | 17 (6.3) | 17 (6.3) | |
What were the most common dental diagnosis made at the emergency clinics for maxillofacial and dental trauma? | ||||
Dental trauma | 190 (35.5) | 96 (35.8) | 94 (35.1) | <0.001 |
Soft tissue injury | 42 (7.9) | 24 (9.0) | 18 (6.7) | |
Jaw fracture | 25 (4.7) | 9 (3.4) | 16 (6) | |
Trauma, soft tissue injury and jaw fracture | 25 (4.7) | 15 (5.6) | 10 (3.7) | |
Others | 26 (4.9) | 13 (4.9) | 13 (4.9) | |
Maxillofacial trauma | 42 (7.9) | 20 (7.5) | 22 (8.2) | |
What were the most common dental diagnosis made at the emergency clinics for dental infections? | ||||
Abscess | 229 (42.8) | 120 (44.8) | 109 (40.7) | <0.001 |
Pericoronitis | 50 (9.35) | 27 (10.1) | 23 (8.6) | |
Maxillofacial space infection | 19 (3.6) | 3 (1.1) | 16 (6.0) | |
Others | 21 (3.9) | 10 (3.7) | 11 (4.1) | |
All the above | 50 (9.4) | 26 (9.7) | 24 (9.0) |
Variables | Total | Lockdown | p-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | Before | After | ||
How were the emergency cases managed? | ||||
Using dental procedures that do not produce droplets | 55 (10.3) | 20 (7.5) | 35 (13.1) | <0.001 |
Using dental procedures that produce droplets | 177 (33.0) | 110 (41.0) | 67 (25.0) | |
Prescribing Antibiotics only | 32 (5.9) | 15 (5.6) | 17 (6.3) | |
Prescribing antibiotics with non-aerosol generating procedures | 246 (45.9) | 114 (42.5) | 132 (49.3) | |
You were afraid of being infected with COVID-19 from your patients? | ||||
Always | 240 (44.8) | 92 (34.3) | 148 (55.2) | <0.001 |
Rarely | 189 (35.3) | 116 (43.3) | 73 (27.2) | |
Never | 101 (18.8) | 58 (21.6) | 43 (16) | |
You tried to avoid performing high risk procedures | ||||
Always | 115 (21.5) | 40 (14.9) | 75 (28.0) | <0.001 |
Rarely | 191 (35.6) | 92 (34.3) | 99 (36.9) | |
Never | 225 (42.0) | 135 (50.4) | 90 (33.6) | |
You record patient temperature | ||||
Always | 250 (46.7) | 78 (29.1) | 172 (64.2) | <0.001 |
Rarely | 98 (18.3) | 56 (20.9) | 42 (15.7) | |
Never | 176 (32.8) | 128 (47.8) | 48 (17.9) | |
You use full PPE before attending to your patients | ||||
Always | 374 (69.8) | 154 (57.5) | 220 (82.1) | <0.001 |
Rarely | 112 (20.9) | 78 (29.1) | 34 (12.7) | |
Never | 46 (8.6) | 35 (13.1) | 11 (4.1) | |
You ask patient to use mouthwash before treatment | ||||
Always | 161 (30.1) | 72 (26.9) | 89 (33.2) | <0.001 |
Rarely | 192 (35.9) | 98 (36.6) | 94 (35.1) | |
Never | 171 (31.9) | 93 (34.7) | 78 (29.1) |
Unstandardized Coefficients | Standardized Coefficients | p-Value | 95.0% Confidence Interval for B | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B | Std. Error | Beta | Lower Bound | Upper Bound | ||
(Constant) | 6.655 | 1.332 | <0.001 | 4.031 | 9.28 | |
Dental center | −0.044 | 0.051 | −0.058 | 0.392 | −0.144 | 0.057 |
Gender | 0.761 | 0.35 | 0.146 | 0.031 | 0.071 | 1.451 |
Age group | 0.256 | 0.469 | 0.057 | 0.585 | −0.667 | 1.18 |
Nationality | 1.044 | 0.411 | 0.201 | 0.012 | 0.234 | 1.854 |
Educational status | 0.121 | 0.271 | 0.039 | 0.657 | −0.413 | 0.654 |
Specialty | −0.011 | 0.072 | −0.011 | 0.883 | −0.153 | 0.132 |
Years of work experience | −0.361 | 0.329 | −0.119 | 0.274 | −1.009 | 0.287 |
Received covid vaccine | −1.001 | 0.741 | −0.088 | 0.178 | −2.461 | 0.458 |
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Alonaizi, N.; Alharran, S.; Baskaradoss, J.K. Dentists’ Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study. Clin. Pract. 2023, 13, 638-647. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract13030058
Alonaizi N, Alharran S, Baskaradoss JK. Dentists’ Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study. Clinics and Practice. 2023; 13(3):638-647. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract13030058
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlonaizi, Nour, Sarah Alharran, and Jagan Kumar Baskaradoss. 2023. "Dentists’ Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study" Clinics and Practice 13, no. 3: 638-647. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract13030058
APA StyleAlonaizi, N., Alharran, S., & Baskaradoss, J. K. (2023). Dentists’ Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study. Clinics and Practice, 13(3), 638-647. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract13030058