Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on children’s oral health services: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Restrictions of face-to-face visits to children due to the prevalence of COVID-19 infection have had adverse effects on oral health-related complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the accessibility of children to oral health services. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, a specific questionnaire was prepared to evaluate the views of pediatric dentists about the impact of COVID-19 on providing oral health services. The questionnaire was dispersed to a target population of 136 pediatric dentists. To evaluate the content validity of the questionnaire, content and face validity methods were used, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated using IBM SPSS statistical software, version 15 Results: The final questionnaire was prepared with 23 questions and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92. Most participants stated that the number of children referred for routine checkups, child cooperation on dental units, no referrals due to economic problems, diagnosis of bruxism and clenching, fissure sealant, dental restorations, fluoride therapy, and preventive orthodontics had a statistically significant decrease during the COVID-19 era. Moreover, using mouthwash, toothbrush and floss, long chair side treatments, treatment of children under anesthesia, pulpotomy and pulpectomy, and chronic gingival infection did not change significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 period, there was a statistically significant rise in plaque buildup, tooth extraction, toothache, using snacks, and acute gingival infection. Conclusions: Referrals for non-emergency and preventative treatment procedures have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but referrals for emergency measures have increased.