Pediatric dentistry procedures performed in the Unified Health System in the State of Rio Grande do Sul before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: difference between the years 2018 and 2021

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the difference in the number of dental procedures in the primary dentition performed in the Unified Health System in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Descriptive ecological study, using secondary data from the Sistema de Informações Ambulatoriais (SIA-SUS), from 2018 to 2021, in the state and in the seven health macro-regions. The relative and absolute frequencies and the percentage difference of the dental procedures performed were calculated. Results: 94,443 and 36,151 dental procedures were registered before and during the pandemic, respectively, which corresponded to a reduction of 61.7%. Relevant percentage reductions were observed in restorative procedures, which reached 20 percentage points in the southern region of the state. An increase in the percentage of exodontic and endodontic procedures was observed. Conclusion: The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had negative repercussions on the performance of dental procedures in the primary dentition in the state.