Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic care in Finland

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the measures that were taken to limit the risk of COVID-19 contagion, how the risk of adverse effects on patient treatment outcomes was mitigated in orthodontic practices in Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these measures affected the course of orthodontic treatment.

Materials and methods

In January 2021, an online questionnaire was sent by email to the members of the Orthodontic Division of the Finnish Dental Association Apollonia (n = 361). An additional inquiry was sent to the chief dental officers of 15 health centers.

Results

A total of 99 clinically active members (39.8%) responded to the questionnaire. Of them, 97.0% had made changes in their practices, e.g. using additional protective gear such as visors (82.8%), incorporating preoperative mouthwashes (70.7%), and limiting the use of turbines (68.7%) and ultrasonics (47.5%). Two in three respondents reported temporary lockdowns (mean 1.9 months, range 0.3–5.0 months), during which some occlusions slightly regressed (30.2%) and some relapsed to a previous stage of treatment (9.5%). During this study, 59.6% of respondents reported that some treatments were still behind schedule. One in three respondents had used teleorthodontics because of the pandemic.

Conclusions

Preventive measures and changes in treatment procedures were implemented according to the local COVID-19 situation. Some treatments were prolonged, e.g. because of lockdowns or patient’s fear of contracting COVID-19 whilst receiving treatment. New methods like teleorthodontics were introduced for coping with the increased workload.