The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental trauma attendance:

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental trauma patient attendance. This study was registered in the PROSPERO system, using the CRD42021288398 protocol. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Lilacs, and OpenGrey databases, using the following phrases: “Tooth injuries”, “Dental trauma”, “Traumatic Dental Injury”, and “COVID-19". Observational studies evaluating dental trauma in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Quality assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Cross-Sectional Studies. Meta-analysis was performed in RevMan 5.4 software with Odds Ratios as a pooled measure of effect, with a 95% confidence interval, and using random-effects modeling. After applying the eligibility criteria, 32 studies were included for qualitative analysis. For quantitative analysis, 10 studies were used to assess the frequency of dental trauma diagnoses in dental emergencies, and despite the reduction in the number of visits during COVID-19, the analysis revealed no difference between the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. By type of dental trauma, 2 of the studies evaluated revealed no differences for the periods before and during the pandemic. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted the frequency or type of dental trauma compared to previous periods. (2022-12-08)