Dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. It was difficult to find a balance
between dental care, especially preventive and other non-urgent dental procedures, and prevention of
potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence
of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental treatment in children in the Dental Clinic of the University
of Banja Luka, and to compare it before and during the first and second years of the pandemic. All
dental records of paediatric patients who attended the Dental Clinic (for the period March 2019 to
March 2022) were analysed. The data on selected dental treatment procedures were divided into three
groups per year and compared. The results during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed
a reduction in single treatments compared to the year before, while in the second year there was an
increase in some interventions such as oral hygiene training and patient motivation, deciduous tooth
extraction, and glass ionomer filling. Although the number of dental treatments in the clinic in the
second year nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, preventive and restorative interventions are the
most appropriate strategy to improve the oral health of children after the COVID-19 pandemic.
