Analysis of the provision of dental care to children in a state-owned medical institution in wartime conditions

Aim of the study was to analyze the indicators of dental aid provided at the children's policlinic dental department in Poltava during the wartime in order to find ways of their optimization. Analytical and statistical methods of research are used. In 2024 there was a decrease in the number of working days of dentists by 6.17% and in the number of diagnostic visits by 23.02% (p<0.05); the number of applied fillings decreased by 13.85% (p<0.05); indicators of preventive, orthodontic and surgical work deteriorated, as well as the indicators of radiologic room. Also, some outpatient surgical procedures began to be performed in the children's hospital, as evidenced by a 1.39% increase in the number of hospitalizations and a 4.68% decrease in the proportion of patients undergoing surgery in the policlinic department (p<0.05). However, the number of preventive and primary visits increased, and the ratio of treated permanent teeth with uncomplicated to complicated caries increased from 17.1:1 in 2023 to 21.4:1 in 2024. In 2024, the number of visits per 1 remediation decreased by 16.67%, whereas the number of treatment courses for periodontal diseases doubled and the number of treatment courses for the diseases oral mucosa increased by 7.6%. In 2022-2024 years, an increase in the number of children examined during scheduled remediation is associated to the terms of the package of National service of health in Ukraine which includes mandatory checks-ups of children under 6 years of age. During wartime, the number of dental services provided by the department shifted due to the changes in the number of city residents, the decrease in the number of working days of dentists, and the transfer of some surgical services to the hospital. In order to optimize dental care for children in wartime, a state-owned medical institution has to promote its work on social media and television, focusing on preventive measures, and to introduce new diagnostic and treatment methods.