Dental and Gingival Health Knowledge and Awareness Levels in Individuals During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire Study

Peer Reviewed

Background: Dental caries is the most common dental and oral health condition. Children's growth and development may be hampered by dental cavities. Furthermore, it may raise the risk of stunting owing to a lack of dietary intake, which may have an impact on quality of life. Oral and dental health empowerment is required to increase dental health knowledge and understanding of dental disorders, particularly during the corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Objective: to describe oral and dental health knowledge improved following dental health empowerment at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Miftahul Ulum Elementary School in Melirang, Bungah Distric, Gresik City, East Java. Material and Methods: Three surveyors were responsible for data collecting. This study's sample size was 150 people ranging from fourth to sixth grade. The seminar covered dental and oral health and was provided via teledentistry. The participants were asked to fill out a Google form for the pre- and post-test to determine the improvement of oral and dental health knowledge for the dental health empowerment evaluation. Result: The majority of oral and dental health participants understood the presentation on oral and dental health empowerment. The post-test percentage was higher (93.59%) than the pre-test rate (56.81%). Conclusion: The program findings demonstrated that oral and dental health empowerment via teledentistry was an effective medium for increasing elementary school children's understanding of dental and oral health status.

Background: Dental caries remains one of the primary health problems. Stunting has become a critical health priority in Indonesia, representing a nutritional disorder that results in children having lower height compared to their peers. There was a significant relationship between oral health problems and growth stunting, where dental and oral health issues can contribute to stunting development, and vice versa. Early detection of malocclusion is crucial for preventing complications and can provide both short-term and long-term benefits in maintaining optimal growth and development. Purpose: to enhance dental and oral health knowledge for malocclusion detection as an effort to prevent stunting among elementary school children during the corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This analytical observational study was conducted at SDN Medowo III, Kediri Regency, East Java, involving 100 participants from grades 4, 5, and 6. Intervention by video education and presentation education booklet. Data collection was performed through pre-test and post-test questionnaires. Frequency distribution analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23. Results: The study showed significant improvement in dental and oral health knowledge across all grade levels. Pre-test scores for dental health knowledge were 58%, 64%, and 60% for grades 4, 5, and 6, respectively, which increased to 80%, 82%, and 85% in post-test evaluations. Similarly, stunting knowledge improved from 59%, 68%, and 70% in the pre-test to 80%, 81%, and 83% in the post-test across the respective grades. Conclusion: The educational intervention effectively enhanced elementary school children's knowledge regarding dental and oral health and stunting prevention during COVID-19.

ObjectivesThe association between toothbrushing and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections is unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the change in time and frequency of toothbrushing is associated with having COVID-19 symptoms.MethodsIn this 8-month retrospective cohort study, we used the data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS; N = 22,366), which was conducted between August and September 2020. The logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) of having the 3 main COVID-19 symptoms (high fever, cough, and taste and smell disorder). Confounders were age, sex, educational attainment, equivalised income level, self-rated health, health literacy, and living area.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 49 years (SD = ±17.3), and 49.2% were male. Overall 2704 (12.1%) participants changed (increased or decreased) the time and frequency of toothbrushing, whilst 19,662 (87.9%) did not change. Only 60 participants (0.3%) had the 3 main COVID-19 symptoms. All logistic regression models showed that those who had a change in time and frequency of toothbrushing had higher odds of having the 3 main COVID-19 symptoms compared to those who had unchanged time and frequency of toothbrushing. The ORs ranged from 6.00 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.60–9.99) in the crude model to 4.08 (95% CI, 2.38–6.98) in the fully adjusted model.ConclusionsThe change in time and frequency of toothbrushing from before to after the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with having the 3 main COVID-19 symptoms.

Rational perspectives on risk and certainty for dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic

Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been concomitant to a number of alterations in children’s dental health. The indoor activities and intermittent eating during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had an impact on oral hygiene practices and behavioural change in children. Aim: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on oral health and behaviour change among children in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Dammam Specialised Dental Center, Dammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, from 6th October 2021 to 8th March 2022, among 510 children. A well-structured questionnaire consisting of 24 closed-end items related to socio-demographic data, children’s behavioural change during lockdown and oral health practices in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia was tailored. All parents or legal guardians of children aged between 6 and 12 years old were asked to sign a written informed permission to complete a questionnaire voluntarily. Statistical analysis was executed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 (IBM Product, USA). Results: Of 510 children to be evaluated for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 284 (55.7%) mothers, 209 (41%) fathers, and 17 (3.3%) caregivers were the respondents. Although one-half of the children 273 (53.5%) had no change in oral health attention, 72 (14.1%) had increased, while 165 (32.5%) had decreased oral health attention during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. There were three significant predictors of children’s oral health behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown including frequency of tooth brushing increased (OR=18.7), decreased brushing (OR=28.3), consumption of sugary meals (OR=4.6), and noticing of caries, toothache, bad breath, bleeding/ swelling of the gingiva (OR=3.1). Conclusion: Study findings demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic caused considerable behavioural and psychological alterations in children. The frequency of brushing, dental visits, and sugar consumption all decreased significantly

Background：The WHO goal for the year 2010 is that ninety percent of 5 years old will be caries free. In 1997, the Department of Health reported the prevalence rate of dental caries in 2 to 3 years old children was 60％.Therefore, prevention of dental caries should begin in infant period. Purpose：The purposes of this study were:1; to analyze the association between dental caries, feeding and dental hygiene habits.2; caregiver's dental health knowledge, attitude and practices, 3; the related factors with dental health knowledge, attitude and practices of caregivers, 4; to analyze the association between feeding, dental hygiene habits, and caregiver's dental health knowledge, attitude. Methods：A total number of 665 children under 3 years old participated in this study. Stratified cluster sampling design and Probability Proportional to Size was used. The dental state of the children was examined by dentists. The dental health habits and status of daily life activities were collected by a standardized questionnaire completed by their parents or caregivers of database was designed using MS Access and data were analyzed using SAS and JMP(p＜0.05 was statistically significant). Results：The average dental caries prevalence was 17.13％, deft index was 0.57. The caregiver's toothbrushing habits were associated with the child's toothbrushing habits.（p＜.0001）。The average score of caregivers dental health knowledge was 47.50.The average score of caregivers dental health attitude was 66.08. Caregivers who have toothbrushing habits after eating, their knowledge（p＜.0001）and attitude（p=0.0009）were better than those without toothbrushing habits after eating. Conclusion：The caregiver's knowledge, attitude and practices of dental awareness affect children's toothbrushing habits and their dental health deeply. Caregivers play the most important role in the children's home care habits. The dental health education of the mothers and caregivers should be reinforced. This study a documents high prevalence of chldren among 2 to 3 years old in Taiwan. Results indicated an urgent need to increase access to preventive dental services for infants.

Unprecedented Training: Experience of Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: From the North American Society Leadership

Understanding the “Scope” of the Problem: Why Laparoscopy Is Considered Safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cardiac Surgery-Enhanced Recovery Programs Modified for COVID-19: Key Steps to Preserve Resources, Manage Caseload Backlog, and Improve Patient Outcomes

Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: From the North American Society Leadership

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that being pregnant and delivering during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with changes in gestational weight gain (GWG) or frequency of small- (SGA) or large-for-gestational-age (LGA) neonates. Secondary analysis of a multicenter observational cohort comparing pregnant people who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic (June-December 2020) to people who delivered prior to the pandemic (March-December 2019). Those with multiple gestations, fetuses with major congenital anomalies, implausible GWG values, unavailable body mass index (BMI), or who were severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2-positive were excluded. The primary outcome was frequency of optimal recommended GWG based on prepregnancy BMI. Neonatal outcomes included birth weight, ponderal index, and frequency of SGA, LGA, and small head circumference for live births. Multivariable regression analysis was used to assess associations between exposure to the pandemic and outcomes. A total of 10,717 pregnant people were included in our analysis. A total of 4,225 pregnant people were exposed to the pandemic and 6,492 pregnant people delivered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant people exposed to the pandemic were older and more likely to have gestational diabetes. The frequency of appropriate GWG was 28.0% during the pandemic and 27.6% before the pandemic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-1.11). Excessive GWG was more likely (54.9 vs. 53.1%; aOR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.001-1.17), and inadequate GWG was less likely during the pandemic (17.0 vs. 19.3%; aOR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77-0.95). The frequency of SGA was 5.4% during the pandemic and 6.1% before the pandemic (aOR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.76-1.06), and the frequency of LGA was 16.0% during the pandemic versus 15.0% before the pandemic (aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.95-1.18). Other neonatal outcomes including birth weight percentile (62.1 [35.8-83.2] vs. 60.2 [34.4-82.2]; adjusted mean difference (aMD) = 1.50, 95% CI: -0.28 to 3.29), ponderal index (2.6 g/cm3 [2.4-2.8] in both groups; aMD = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00-0.02), and small head circumference for livebirths (<10th percentile [8.2 vs. 8.1%; aOR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.89-1.19], <3rd percentile [3.5 vs. 3.1%; aOR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.93-1.44]) were similar between groups as well. Being pregnant and delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a higher likelihood of excessive GWG and a lower likelihood of inadequate GWG. · Delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with higher likelihood of excessive GWG.. · Delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with lower likelihood of inadequate GWG.. · COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with changes in frequency of SGA or LGA..

THE RELATIONSHIP OF MOTIVATION ON THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY VISITING THE DENTIST DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SUNGAI MIAI VILLAGE