Covid-19 has caused a huge range of problems for the oral health of children. Recent research has identified several trends associated with the dental health of children in the last few years. Among the issues are a low dental check-up attendance rate and a sharp increase in the number of youngsters having cavities and tooth decay. The findings are worrying, and shows how the oral health of children has been a hidden victim of the pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted and impacted the lives of billions of people. Many effects were visible – the millions of tragic deaths, hospitals becoming overran and lockdowns.
But some effects have been invisible – such as mental health problems and economic concerns. However, one other neglected area that has been impacted is oral health.
Now, a new study has focused on the impact Covid-19 has had on the dental health of children. The results are rather worrying, and suggests the oral health of children has been poorly affected by the pandemic.
Background
Covid-19 started to spread in the first half of 2020, before creating chaos for several months. In fact, at the time of writing, the World Health Organization reports that over 6.1million people have died from Covid-19 [1].
The lockdown restrictions have meant that many children have led a more sedentary lifestyle than previous generations. Moreover, increased sugary food consumption has happened – causing severe problems for oral health [2].
Routine dental care was suspended soon into the pandemic, with dental clinics around the world only offering emergency care. Therefore, fewer routine check-ups took place, meaning chances to see and treat dental problems were missed.
Moreover, with most students learning online, regular routines were stopped. As a result, some children would have stopped cleaning their teeth on some days.
The research
Researchers from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have completed a study that focuses on the oral health of children. Their findings will be presented in May’s annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry [3].
The researchers analyzed pediatric emergency cases at Tufts between 2018 and 2021 [3]. 2018 and 2019 represented pre-pandemic cases, while 2020 and 2021 would be used to measure cases during the pandemic.
As a result of comparing data across these years, the researchers were able to discover many trends. Furthermore, many of these findings were very worrying.
For example, the likelihood of a child in the United States visiting a dental in 2020 (during the pandemic) was 27% lower when compared to 2019 [3]. This represents a huge decline.
Another worrying finding concerned emergency cases seen at Tufts. Pre-pandemic, 44% of the emergency cases were for dental infections. However, this number rose to 56% during the pandemic [3]. Therefore, problems worsened over the pandemic.
The researchers also saw an increased level of cavities and tooth decay [3]. They also found that abscesses were forming, which could cause potentially “life-threatening” complications [3].
Another finding was that young emergency patients treated during Covid-19 were much less likely to return for a follow-up appointment compared to pre-pandemic [3]. The researchers concluded that this was due to parents being reluctant to attend emergency clinics during the pandemic [3].
In terms of general fitness, the authors were also worried about the nature of emergency room visits. They pointed out that before the pandemic, that most dental injuries were caused by sports [3]. Because of the restrictions in place, most children are spending time indoors, resulting in less physical activity.
One positive was that the researchers noted that since the end of the study – in August 2021 – more patients have been coming in for routine appointments [3]. This shows that people are starting to make the most out of having routine access to dental clinics now.
What this means
The above findings show the impact that Covid-19 has had on the oral health of children. Because of the areas outlined above, it seems that the oral health of many children has worsened during Covid-19.
Cheen Loo, Professor and Chairwoman of Pediatric Dentistry at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, discussed the findings of the research [4].
Loo mentioned that “a lot of parents were hesitant about coming to a dental visit” [4]. But she mentioned that now it seems that numbers are returning to a pre-pandemic level.
Moreover, Loo said that parents commonly “delayed dental treatment for their children”, with many waiting for their child to be vaccinated [4]. Due to the vaccination rollout, more people are now willing to attend dental clinics.
As more children get to visit a dentist, it is hoped that there will be less emergency room visits for oral health problems. The aim is for oral health to greatly improve post-pandemic.
Thinking points…
1) The research above shows how much children have struggled with their oral health over the pandemic. Children especially need assistance with their teeth. If you have children, it is important to book them a check-up to see how their teeth have been doing since the pandemic. A dentist will be able to offer advice and provide treatment if needed. Consider booking an appointment now!
2) It isn’t just children that have had their oral health impacted by Covid-19 – adults have seen problems rise. Many people have been reluctant to return to a dental clinic. However, with routine dentistry being offered again, now is an excellent time to book a check-up. Any problems can be identified and then treated. We strongly recommend booking an appointment soon.
Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that offers many services, including regular check-ups, cavity fillings and root canals.
We are also pleased to offer some cosmetic services. Here at our Calgary dental clinic, we offer treatments like tooth whitening, Invisalign™ and implants.
It is important for dental problems to be addressed early. Any oral-based problems will be identified at check-ups. This helps to prevent the problem getting worse. If and when further treatment is needed after a check-up, our patients receive a clear treatment plan.
The best way of avoiding extra treatment is to have strong oral hygiene. This includes brushing our teeth at least twice a day, flossing regularly, and getting a dental check-up at least twice a year. Avoiding sugary foods and drink and not smoking also helps.
Our Calgary-based dental clinic Savanna Dental also follows the Alberta Dental Fee Guide. This means our prices are competitive, transparent and affordable.
We would love you to visit us here at Savanna Dental soon! You can see more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.
References
[1] World Health Organization. (2022). WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. Available: https://covid19.who.int/. Last accessed: 3rd April 2022.
[2] Entertainment Times. (2022). COVID-19 and its connection with a high sugar diet. Available: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/covid-19-and-its-connection-with-a-high-sugar-diet/photostory/90109541.cms. Last accessed: 3rd April 2022.
[3] Lyu, W., & Wehby, G. L. (2022). Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Oral Health and Dental Care Use. (Pre-publication issue)/ DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2022.02.008.
[4] Ragovin, H. (2022). For kids, toothaches become another kind of pandemic pain. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-kids-toothaches-kind-pandemic-pain.html. Last accessed: 3rd April 2022.
