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AI InsightFemales had significantly higher anxiety levels than males (p
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Abstract
Aim: This study aims to determine the anxiety levels of orthodontic patients related to the coronavirus pandemic and to evaluate the effects of quarantine on orthodontic appointments and orthodontic treatment. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted as an online survey with the participation of patients who were actively receiving orthodontic treatment. A total of 281 orthodontic patients (191 [67.97%] females and 90 [32.03%] males) participated in the survey. The questionnaire consisted of five sections that included questions about demographics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the patients’ orthodontic status. Anxiety levels were measured using Turkish versions of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, the Pearson correlation test, and the Mann Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Regarding patients’ perceptions of the pandemic, 251 patients (89.32%) reported that they were sufficiently informed about COVID-19. The main concern about the effects of quarantine on orthodontic treatment was the delay of orthodontic treatment at a rate of 58.36% (164/281). This study found that 36% (103/281) of the participants exhibited anxiety symptoms. The prevalence of dental anxiety specifically was 33% (95/281). Our study results reveal a significant relationship between dental anxiety and general anxiety, which indicates that dentally anxious people tend to also be generally anxious. Females had significantly higher anxiety levels than males (p