Abstract
OBJECTIVE: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was recommended to provide emergency dental care and avoid aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) when possible. This study aimed to determine how Saudi Arabian pediatric patients utilized emergency dental services at the national level at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and what situations required an AGP. METHODS: Data was collected from all Ministry of Health dental facilities in Saudi Arabia between March and May 2020. All pediatric dental patients who received emergency dental care during the COVID-19 lockdown were included in this study. RESULTS: The majority of the 1,544 pediatric dental patients who received emergency dental care during this period received treatment for caries (77.9 %). AGPs were predominant in the treatment of urgent dental conditions (51.5 %). About 64 % of cases with pulpal inflammation and 52.4 % with abscesses underwent an AGP. CONCLUSION: Emergency and urgent dental conditions were the main reason for seeking dental care during the pandemic (75.8 %), while only 24.2 % of cases were considered non-urgent. Despite the recommendations, AGPs were required for some urgent conditions to relieve the associated pain, and this comprised 46.8 % of dental treatment provided.