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People wanting a winning smile for their Zoom meetings during the pandemic led to a rush of Bahraini and expats checking in with a dentist to ensure their gnashers were up to the task.
Whilst joke images flooded social media of people being caught out having conference calls still in their underwear … many shined perfectly from the chin up with choppers that brightened their online meetings.
They were also provided with a mental health boost, making them feel good when they were mask free and home alone, according to a new report backed by some of the kingdom’s leading dentists and oral health experts.
“The dentists pointed out that cosmetic dental procedures were particularly popular amongst the people of Bahrain during Covid-19,” revealed the report entitled: ‘Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on Oral Health, Dentistry and Post-Pandemic Resilience in Bahrain’.
“As people began saving money due to entertainment venues, restaurants and shopping malls being closed during the early stages of the pandemic, they soon saved more money than usual for self-care treatments.”
The dentists who contributed in the report and took part in the Dersat roundtable to share their views
Struggled
The report highlights the major issues and presents a series of recommendations targeting dentistry and policymakers.
It also revealed that dentists, like many sectors, seriously struggled during periods of the pandemic when members of the public were most fearful of catching Covid-19.
The Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) in its latest report, in co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assembled a group of experts to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on oral health and dentistry.
The experts, during a roundtable discussion conducted in December, shared their views of how the pandemic initially resulted in a drop in the number of patients visiting their clinics.
However, as pandemic restrictions eased and as the vaccination drive intensified, public confidence returned as patients started visiting clinics across the country for cosmetic dental and other procedures.
“The dentists noted that during the early stages of the pandemic, the number of patients had decreased … and that was a challenging time to navigate through all aspects of life in general,” stated the report.
“Additionally, the dentists remarked that patients were afraid to go to hospitals and clinics in general, particularly dental clinics, because close interaction is required.
“Some dentists remarked that patients cancelled their sessions whenever Bahrain was in the Orange or Red Levels of Covid-19 restrictions.”
This report is co-authored by Rawana AlDajani and David Verhagen, and explains during the pandemic the number of patients decreased drastically at times, adding they had to cut down staff working hours by 25 per cent to stay afloat.
Moreover, the question of masks covering people’s faces came up during the roundtable discussions, and how that paralleled an interest in cosmetic dental procedures.
“The dentists discussed that despite masks covering people’s mouths, it was still important for people to take care of their beauty and wellness during Covid-19 – as mental health was severely affected, people wanted to look and feel good again.”
According to a study conducted by the Ontario Academy for General Dentistry, people have taken more interest in their smiles due to virtual calls that require the face to show more prominently.
Therefore, the Bahrain-based dentists concluded, a combination of an increase in savings, low self-esteem, and an increase in virtual interactions led to an increase in cosmetic procedures.
Furthermore, the experts stated in the report that as cases reduced people developed more confidence to visit clinics for regular teeth cleaning and check-ups, and the numbers returned to around 80 per cent to 90pc of walk-ins registered pre-pandemic.
The dentists agreed that the return of patients was aided by the efforts of the government, including financial support from Tamkeen, adding the oral health sector was not shut down like in some neighbouring countries.
Another notable finding in the report, was the increase in telemedicine during the pandemic as dentists provided consultations to their patients.
They recommended that one of the most effective ways to reach and engage with patients was through social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Snapchat.
“Particularly with paediatric dentistry, the participants expressed WhatsApp and Zoom aided in educating parents on oral hygiene for their children,” stated the report.
They called upon policy makers to come out with a strategy to protect doctors legally from giving their advice online or via social media platforms, as wrong advice is treated as a criminal offence
“Moreover, intervention treatment and early detection would still require a face-to-face appointment with the dentist and the patient, since it would be nearly impossible to detect the dental issue through virtual platforms alone,” concluded the report.
In its recommendations, the dentist community pushed for creation of a mandatory emergency plan for future pandemics including a consistent stock of personal protective equipment.
The 2020 annual report by the National Health Regulatory Authority states there are a total of 133 registered dental health care facilities in the country and a total of 955 licensed dentists in the country.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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