Politi I, McParland E, Smith R, Crummey S, Fan K. The impact of COVID-19 on cervicofacial infection of dental aetiology. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2020.07.017.

During COVID-19 lockdown, there was a reduction in patients seen with cervicofacial infection but more patients required admission.

A retrospective analysis of patients with cervicofacial infection of dental aetiology referred to maxillofacial surgery during the initial six weeks of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 was carried out and compared with the equivalent period in the two preceding years. Unexpectedly, during lockdown, there was a reduction in patients seen with cervicofacial infection of dental aetiology. This may have resulted from patient adherence to government guidelines ('Stay at home'), successful triaging of patients in primary care and emergency treatment provided by urgent dental care centres. Proportionally more patients who presented to hospital had received prior antibiotic therapy and required in-patient admission. Patients received incision and drainage, with an increase in extraoral drainage and reduction in length of stay. Maxillofacial managed a reduced number of patients, likely resulting from primary and secondary dental care working together. The rate of incision and drainage of patients not admitted increased under local anaesthesia with increase of extraoral drainage and reduced length of stay for those admitted.