The Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Orthodontic Patients in China: An Analysis of Posts on Weibo

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many dental care services including orthodontic practice were suspended. Orthodontic patients turned to social media platforms to communicate, share experiences, and look for solutions. Our study aimed to investigate the attitudes and perspectives of orthodontic patients during the COVID-19 epidemic in China by analyzing orthodontics-related posts on Sina Weibo (a Chinese counterpart of Twitter).Materials and Methods: Potentially eligible posts on Sina Weibo platform were collected between December 30, 2019, and April 18, 2020. Posts related to both orthodontics and COVID-19 were included and then coded and classified into specific appliances and themes. Geographic and temporal distributions of the included posts were analyzed. In addition, time-lagged cross correlation was performed to explore the association between the number of daily posts and daily new COVID-19 cases/deaths in China. Chi-square tests were employed to compare the differences between fixed appliances and aligners in problems/difficulties and feelings during the epidemic.Results: Of the 28,911 posts identified, 4,484 were included in the analysis. The most frequently mentioned themes were appointments (n = 2,621, 58.5%), negative feelings (n = 2,189, 48.8%), and problems/difficulties (n = 1,155, 25.8%). A majority of posts were tweeted in regions with high levels of economic development and population density in eastern China and from February to March. The number of daily posts had a significantly positive correlation with daily new COVID-19 cases/deaths in China (P < 0.05). Compared with clear aligners, patients with fixed appliances reported more problems/difficulties (P < 0.001) and negative feelings (P < 0.001), but fewer positive feelings (P < 0.001).Conclusions: The analysis of Weibo posts provided a timely understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on orthodontic patients. Delayed appointments were their greatest concern, and negative feelings and untreated orthodontic problems increased during the suspension of dental care services. However, patients with clear aligners reported fewer negative feelings and problems than those with fixed appliances. The findings highlighted the need to consider both treatment- and psychology-related issues of orthodontic patients and how to handle them appropriately during the epidemic.

Analysis of tweets on toothache during the COVID-19 pandemic using the CrystalFeel algorithm: a cross-sectional study

“…The pandemic caused changes in people’s moods until it was brought under control, and we could quickly learn about these changes through social media. Due to easy access to social networks such as Twitter, researchers can use these tools as sources of data on many topics, such as attitudes toward health-related issues [ 25 , 26 ]. Twitter analysis revealed an increase in the number of tweets mentioning the toothache during the most intense period of the COVID-19 pandemic (11 March 2020 and 30 June 2020) and the intensity of emotions of “fear” and “anger”.…”

“…Furthermore, 16.5%, 28.8%, and 8.1% of the participants reported moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and stress levels, respectively. In a recent study, it was argued that the COVID-19 pandemic affected orthodontic appointments and provoked patients’ anxiety and that the biggest concern of more than half of the patients was the delay in treatment [ 26 ]. The emotions felt about toothache during the pandemic were fear (80.3%), anger (11.7%), sadness (5.9%), and joy (2.1%), respectively.…”

Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) among Pediatric Dentists during Lockdown Period

“…These results show the necessity to propose standard guidelines for dental practice before the pandemic outbreak. A recent study from China [ 25 ] performed with 2699 orthodontists suggested that COVID-19-related training programs necessitate enhancing knowledge and preparedness. A recent study used the same questionnaire tool [ 24 ] found adequate knowledge and perceptions scores among dental specialists from various clinical specialties.…”

“…The authors also opined that adequate and suitable protection should also be provided to ensure safety and reduce the psychological burden. However, the results cannot be applied to the present study as the Chinese study [ 25 ] was conducted among the orthodontists.…”

Are We Hearing Right? The Negative Impact of New SARS-CoV-2 Preventive Measures and Prolonged Use of Treatment Modalities during Orthodontic Treatment

“…The devices that have been shown to cause the maximum auditory damage are lowspeed and high-speed handpieces, ultrasonic cleaning instruments, high-velocity suction devices, and even model trimming machines [13]. As has been commonly seen during the last year, because of irregular lockdowns, many patients have been reporting to dental clinics with removed brackets, broken wires, and poor oral hygiene [14]. To fix removed orthodontic brackets and provide oral prophylaxis, many of the devices mentioned above are used, which has only added to the hazardous nature of our profession.…”