Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment and psychology of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: COVID-19 is a novel pandemic affecting the entire world. This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing the challenges faced by patients receiving orthodontic treatment as well as treating orthodontists and their preferred solutions to overcome these challenges. Methodology: A total of 120 patients, undergoing orthodontic treatment of any form (fixed/removable appliances) at the Department of Orthodontics, Dharmsinh Desai University, whose treatment had started before the lockdown, were approached. The close-ended offline questionnaire consisting of 12 questions, all mandatory to be answered, was distributed randomly among these patients with prior consent. To compare the difference in the distribution of responses for the questionnaire and analyze it statistically, the Chi-square test was used. Results: The participant response rate was 91.66%. 76.36% of patients neither felt any emergency nor faced any issues during the lockdown. 56.36% were in telephonic contact with their respective orthodontists; out of which 90% were following the instructions prescribed by their orthodontists. Forty percent of patients were concerned about the global pandemic, and 83.64% were worried about their orthodontic treatment getting extended. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a statistically significant impact on orthodontic treatment as well as on the psychology of patients undergoing treatment as they were in contact with their respective orthodontists through telephonic communication.