Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of OPD services of a tertiary dental care centre in New Delhi, India

Abstract

In March 2020, there was COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in India with the second wave entering in April 2021. This hampered the day to day life of most of the people. Patients visiting the Dental OPDs were reduced. This retrospective analysis assessed the effect of COVID-19 on the demographics and complaints of patients visiting the dental OPD. To assess how the current COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the utilization of OPD services by patients in a tertiary care centre in New Delhi. This was a retrospective study. The data (August 2020 to February 2021) of patients visiting the Dental OPD of Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia was retrieved and analyzed. 4909 patients visited the OPD with various complaints. Their demographic characteristics, reasons for visiting and treatment rendered were analyzed. Out of 4909 patients visiting the dental OPD almost equal males (49.9%) and females (50.1%) visited. The mean age of the patients was 32.84±16.12 years. Caries and pain were the main chief complaints. 31% had caries and 22% had pain. 33.7% had endodontic problems and 24.8% had periodontal problems. Only 5% pediatric patients visited the OPD. 45% patients were medicated and 26.6% were referred to a higher centre. Within the constraints of this study, we found that most of the patients visited the dental OPD only if they had endodontic problems like pain and caries.