Resumption of Brazilian oral medicine health care during the second period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Marques, Nelson Pereira; Silveira, Denise Maria Mendes Lúcio da; Marques, Nádia Carolina Teixeira; Lucena, Edson Hilan Gomes de; Martelli, Daniella Reis Barbosa; Perez, Danyel Elias da Cruz; Martelli Júnior, Hercílio

doi:10.20396/bjos.v23i00.8672937

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Brazilian Journal of Oral Sciences

Español English

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

Short communication • Braz J Oral Sci. 23 • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.20396/bjos.v23i00.8672937 copy

Resumption of Brazilian oral medicine health care during the second period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Aim

This present study aims to compare the data from the Brazilian Unified Health System on the number of clinical consultations of Oral Medicine from the first 6 months (March-August 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil with the last 6 months (September-February 2020/2021) to update the data, verify the measures’ effectiveness to return clinical activities in the following months.

Methods

perform a literature review of recent articles that report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Oral Medicine.

Results

There was an increase in the number of Oral Medicine clinical consultations in the second half of the pandemic throughout Brazil (+64.2%), representing over 9,235 appointments in this period.

Conclusion

measures for the return of health assistance and the practice of Telemedicine proved to be effective after the second period of the pandemic. Even so, strengthening security measures against the coronavirus is essential to ward off a new wave since the Omicron variant emerged in the country and, consequently, possible new lockdowns that might affect healthcare in Brazil.

COVID-19; Dental care; Oral medicine; Pandemics

Region of Brazil	Mar-Aug 2020	Sep-Feb 2020/21	Difference	%	p*
North	663	520	-143	-21.6	< 0.001
Northeast	3,435	6,381	+2,946	+85.8	< 0.001
Southeast	8,077	13,048	+4,971	+61.5	< 0.001
South	1,766	2,734	+968	+54.8	< 0.001
Midwest	439	932	+493	+112.3	< 0.001
Total	14,380	23,615	+9,235	+64.2	< 0.001

Author / Reference	Country	Data analyzed	Findings	Comment
Dong et al.¹⁰, 2021	China	This paper aimed to reproduce the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on the clinical services and academic activities in the department of stomatology of a tertiary hospital in Wuhan, China.	Was noted a significant decrease in the number of patients seeking outpatient services for the year 2020, which decreased by two-thirds from 2018 to 2020. Emergency cases also decreased significantly in 2020. The monthly number of teaching hours decreased from 3.8 in 2018 and 4.7 in 2019 to 1.7 during the pandemic period. The number of interns has dropped by more than 77% in 2020.	Stomatology clinic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were significant, with an important decrease in clinical services and education. It’s inescapable to find solutions to keep as many dental professionals as needed remaining on the frontline of oral health care.
Marques et al.⁶, 2020 (Previous study)	Brazil	This investigation seeks to compare Brazilian Unified Healthcare System (SUS) Oral Medicine clinical care, before and while the pandemic. • Oral Medicine care in the SUS was measured by assessing the number of clinical consultations performed between March and July 2015 to 2020. The data was extracted from the public database (DATASUS).	Clinical consultations number in the pre-pandemic period were higher in all Brazilian Regions when compared to the current period. The deficit of the general Brazilian average is 65.59%, representing more than 21,000 clinical Oral Medicine consultations.	Regarding oral cancer, early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment with a good prognosis. As a result, this reduction in the number of Oral Medicine clinical consultations becomes even more worrisome, and the authors suggested quick and safe actions to regularize or at least minimize both critical and immediate risks.
Sandhu et al.⁸, 2022	USA	This study aimed to assess Oral Medicine students’ perception of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training experience, education, and psychological well-being of oral medicine residents.	Most residents reported an important reduction in patient volume at its worst during the pandemic. Regarding educational activities, most students reported a complete switch of didactic training, academic examinations, and off-site resident rotations to a virtual platform.	Even with restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oral Medicine residency programs continued their clinical activities, didactic training, and research productivity through virtual means.

Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba - UNICAMP Avenida Limeira, 901, cep: 13414-903, Piracicaba - São Paulo / Brasil, Tel: +55 (19) 2106-5200 - Piracicaba - SP - Brazil
E-mail: brjorals@unicamp.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Corresponding author: Nelson Pereira Marques Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba 901 Limeira Avenue, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13414-018, Brazil. E-mail: neomarques@hotmail.com