Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients' anxiety levels related to dental appointments in Poland

Background.The reasons for the fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection are the ease of the transmission of the virus, the severe course of the disease and possible complications, as well as treatment difficulties. The dental office is a place of increased risk. Despite the applied epidemiological protection measures and the hygienic regimen, a dental visit may cause anxiety and generate stress. Objectives. The aim of the study was to determine the level of fear of coronavirus infection in dental patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account the patients'age, gender and education, the number of people in the household, and the reason for the appointment. In addition, the patients assessed the epidemiological comfort provided during their visit to the dental clinic. Material and methods.The survey was conducted among 100 adults who visited the University Dental Clinic (UKS) in Cracow, Poland, for dental treatment. The patients completed 2 questionnaires: "Assessment of the level of anxiety associated with COVID-19"; and "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the need of dental treatment and the level of epidemiological safety of patients". The results were statistically ana-lyzed and interpreted. Results. The level of anxiety assessed with the questionnaire was moderate, and there were no statisti-cally significant differences with regard to the age, gender and education of the respondents or the number of people in the same household. The main reason for reporting to the clinic was the desire to start and continue treatment. Most of the respondents believed that wearing a mask and measuring the tempera-ture protect against infection, but 27% assessed the security measures as insufficient. Nearly half feared impeded access to dental services, and more than half were afraid of increased costs of treatment. Conclusions. Despite the safety measures taken in place, patients felt anxious about dental appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic.