Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the views and anxiety levels of orthodontic patients during the first clinical appointment after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. METHODS: Data were collected using a questionnaire that was administered to patients aged over 14 years who resumed their scheduled orthodontic treatment at Adıyaman University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics during the normalization period after the COVID-19 lockdown. Anxiety levels of the participants were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: The study included 241 participants, comprising 177 (73.4%) women and 64 (26.5%) men with a mean age of 17.73 ± 3.27 years. Anxiety levels were significantly higher in women (State-trait index-State anxiety [STAI-S]: 39.26 ± 9.81, State-trait index-Trait anxiety [STAI-T]: 43.53 ± 9.16) than in men (STAI-S: 34.32 ± 10.12, STAI-T: 38.5 ± 7.87) (P < .01). No significant relationship was found between the presence of chronic diseases and anxiety levels (P > .05), while a positive correlation was found between age and trait anxiety (P = .041). Of all patients, 79.7% were positive about rescheduling their clinical appointment. Participants with higher anxiety levels indicated that they considered dental clinics as risky environments for the spread of COVID-19 infection (P < .01) and thus wanted to resume their treatment once the pandemic had ended (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that patients receiving fixed orthodontic treatment were anxious in the clinic.