The impact of COVID-19 on NHS hospital admissions for severe dental infection in England

Abstract

Introduction: There has been a steady increase in NHS (National Health Service) hospital admissions in England for severe dental infection over the past 20 years, but this data had not been reviewed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of NHS hospital admissions in England. To assess trends in dental activity, such as the units of dental activity (UDAs) and the number of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed by NHS dentists before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data on admissions for dental infection and UDAs were downloaded from NHS Digital for the years 2018-2023. The NHS Business Standard Authority provided dental antibiotic prescribing data via a Freedom of Information request. Population data were obtained from the Office for National Statistics. The data were analysed to assess for trends by year. Results: The number of patients admitted for severe dental infection in NHS hospitals in England decreased significantly at the beginning of the pandemic. Admissions had not returned to pre-pandemic level in the study period. The number of UDAs showed a similar trend. The number of NHS dental antibiotic prescriptions increased in the first few months of the pandemic but then returned to pre-pandemic levels. Conclusions: Despite a previously observed rise in the number of NHS hospital admissions in England for severe dental infection over the past 20 years, this decreased both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8331-1

Repository URI

https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/343339/