LAUSR

Introduction The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the spring of 2020 resulted in the temporary suspension of elective dental procedures and clinical dental education in academic institutions. This study describes the utilization of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) emergency dental clinic during the peak surge in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, highlighting the number of endodontic emergencies. Methods Aggregate data from clinical encounters and call records to an emergency triage phone line from March 30 through May 8, 2020 were used to describe the characteristics of dental emergencies, clinical encounters and procedures performed. Results A total of 466 patient interactions occurred during this period, resulting in 199 patients advised by phone and 267 clinical encounters. The most common dental emergencies were severe dental pain from pulpal inflammation (27.7% of clinical encounters) followed by surgical post-operative visit (13.1%). The most frequent procedures were extractions (13.9% of clinical encounters) and surgical follow up (13.5%). 50.2% of the clinical encounters were categorized as aerosol-generating, and 86.1% of encounters would have required treatment in a hospital emergency department if dental care was not available. There were no known transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 among clinic providers, patients, or staff during this period. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of endodontic diagnosis and treatment in the provision of emergency dental care during a pandemic, and demonstrates that dental treatment can be provided in a manner that minimizes the risk of viral transmission, maintaining continuity of care for a large patient population.