Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on the Oral Hygiene Status of Children

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Oral Hygiene Status of Children With High Caries Risk and Their Parents

The purpose of this study is to compare oral hygiene status and dietary habits of 3-5 years old children and their parents with a questionnaire and clinic examination between pre- and post-COVID-19 period.

Study Rationale and Objectives:

The primary motivation behind this study lies in understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health behaviors, specifically focusing on children at high risk for dental caries.

Objectives include assessing changes in tooth brushing habits and dietary patterns among both children and their parents.

Study Design:

The study employs a prospective observational design. Participants are parents of 155 children aged 3-5 years. Data collection occurs at two time points: before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Collection Instruments:

A structured questionnaire is administered to parents. It covers:

Children's and parents' dietary habits (frequency of sugary food consumption). Oral hygiene practices (tooth brushing frequency). The index of decayed-missing-filled deciduous teeth (dmft) is used to assess dental caries status in children.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a limited impact on high-caries-risk children's tooth brushing habits.

However, increased sugary food consumption by both children and parents exacerbated caries risk.

Collaborative efforts between healthcare professionals and parents are crucial to mitigate negative oral health effects during such challenging times.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 3-5 year old children with high caries risk. To identify high caries-risk children, the criteria used by the the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) for assessing a child's dental caries risk were applied.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Childrens with systemic health problems and childrens with any space maintainers.