Trends of patients’ visit at the University Dental Hospital prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The oral health sector was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic due to risks associated with dentist-patient proximity as well as generation of aerosols. Government containment policies limited access to oral healthcare services while patients demonstrated reluctance to attend. We aimed to describe trends in new patient visits at a University Dental Hospital prior and during the pandemic. In this two-part census and analytical cross-sectional study at the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, 6,486 digital records of new patients registered between June 2019 and July 2021 were evaluated. A national lockdown during the pandemic led to a decline of 8.6% of new patients over the two-year period. While 3,529 new patients visited before (June 2019 to March 2020), 2,957 visited during the pandemic (August 2020 to July 2021). Fewer patients came from outside the Nairobi conurbation and percentage complaints of pain and swelling increased during the pandemic. Post-pandemic policies should promote regular service utilization and promote alternative clinical teaching methodologies.