The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the appointments and anxiety level of Nigerian patients visiting the dental clinics

Introduction: The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), originating in Wuhan, China, has become a major public health challenge for many countries around the world, including Nigeria. The World Health Organization announced that the outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have constituted a public health emergency of international concern. To control the spread of the disease, many countries, including Nigeria imposed measures such as border screening, social distancing and restriction of all movements. To prevent further spread of the disease, in many places, dentists were restricted to only handling urgencies and emergencies. Aim: To evaluate the impact of lockdown resulting from COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ willingness to attend their dental appointments, clarify their concerns about their ongoing dental treatment, and to assess the anxiety level of patients regarding the risk of contracting the infection at dental offices in Nigeria. Method: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among patients aged 13 years and above, visiting dental clinics in six teaching hospitals across three geopolitical zones of Nigeria: South-West, South-South and North-West. Result: Few (26.6%) of the participants were compliant with the lockdown restriction. Regarding the general anxiety level of the patients, majority (48.3%) reported calmness. There was a highly statistically significant association between patients’ feeling about the pandemic and their willingness to attend a dental appointment visit. Conclusion: Majority of the participants demonstrated calmness towards the pandemic and did not exhibit fear or anxiety going to dental clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak. Keywords: COVID-19; dental appointments; anxiety level.