Impact of irregular appointment interval on Orthodontic treatment amid COVID-19 Pandemic- A Cross sectional Observational Study.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic situation has affected all professions including orthodontics. The present study proposed determination of impact of irregular appointments on Orthodontic treatment amid COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional observational study design enrolled 134 patients over period of 2 weeks were recorded such as treatment start date, total number of appointments scheduled and frequency of missed appointments after 24 March 2020, Stage of Orthodontic treatment on or before 24 March 2020 i.e., Alignment & levelling b) Space closure c) Finishing and Detailing d) Retention. Results: The distribution of malocclusion based on Angle Molar criteria showed prevalence of 53.73 % Class I, 37.32 % Class II and 8.95% Class III. The malocclusions were treated predominantly by extraction in 57.46 % and non-extraction in 42.44 % patients. The total treatment duration revealed that more than 51 % patients’ treatment lasted beyond 24 months but finished before 36 months. Similarly, 35.82 % patients’ treatment duration was less than 12 months. It was found that more than 47 % were in Stage I, 28.36 % were in stage II, 18.66 % in stage III and lastly 5.97 % were in stage IV. Conclusion: Orthodontic emergencies and un-schedule appointments had prevalence of Class I, followed by Class II and Class III with extraction treatment therapy. Majority patients treated with fixed mechanotherapy followed by Clear aligners and Retainers. More than half of the patients had increased treatment duration due to irregular follow up. Keywords: COVID-19, Corona Virus Disease, Orthodontic Appointment, Orthodontic Appliances.