Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral and Maxillofacial Care in Health Units in Belém, Brazil

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to assess the influence of the pandemic on oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures in Dental Specialty Centers (CEOs) within the Metropolitan Region of Belém, Pará, Brazil. Study Design: A retrospective cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was conducted using a comparative statistical approach. Place and Duration of Study: Data from 2019 to 2020 on non-urgent surgical procedures in selected CEOs were collected from the DATASUS platform and compared to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Belém, Pará Methodology: Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including ANOVA and t-tests, were used to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the number of surgical procedures conducted. Results: The total number of patients treated at the CEOs in 2019 was 30,013, which decreased to 15,952 in 2020, resulting in a 46.8% reduction. The analysis showed that different CEOs exhibited varying trends in the number of procedures performed, with a significant association between the pandemic and procedure numbers. Most surgical procedures experienced a decline from 2019 to 2020. Still, specific procedures showed substantial increases, such as excision of skin and mucosal lesions, treatment of facial neuralgia, and drainage of abscesses in the mouth and appendages. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures rate at Dental Specialty Centers in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, Pará, Brazil. While overall procedures decreased, specific non-urgent procedures demonstrated variations, influenced by the evolving pandemic and public health measures.