Emergency dental care triage during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 23 March 2020, routine dental treatment was stopped by the Chief Dental Officer, with the emphasis towards urgent dental care only. Aim To evaluate the activities of the emergency service at a secondary care Urgent Dental Care (UDC) hub during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods The total number of patients seen from 30 March to 20 June 2020 was recorded. The effectiveness of telephone triage and the appropriateness of patients invited for a clinical assessment were evaluated over a two-week period. Results The number of calls into the UDC hub were highest during the first few weeks, with up to 249 per day. The most commonly provided emergency treatments included extractions and pulp extirpations. Discussion As other UDC hubs opened, the number of calls reduced, with patients being directed to a UDC nearer to where they lived. Conclusions The dental profession had to make some significant changes in the way they worked due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission and due to the effects of the lockdown. This review highlights the effectiveness of telephone triage as well as its drawbacks.