Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral Health and Access to Dental Care
Abstract
Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on healthcare systems worldwide and dental services in particular as they are deemed the most aerosol generating and it is thought that they might be most likely to be affected by contracting the virus. Poor oral health outcomes may have been caused by limited access to regular dental care, psychological, and economic difficulties. The purpose of the presented study was to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic would influence the oral health condition and access to dental services in adults in 2022.
Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted in 2022 and involved 300 adults aged 18 years and older. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling to ensure representation on demographical factors. Data was collected through a structured, pre - validated questionnaire that addressed sociodemographic characteristics, self - reported oral health problems, dental visit patterns during and before the pandemic and barriers to accessing dental care. Statistical analyses were conducted using all data with the aid of the statistical program of SPSS. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and inferential analysis using the chi square test. Findings were deemed to be statistically significant at p-value < 0.05.
Results: During the pandemic there was a large decline in visiting the dentist regularly - from 62.0% prior to Covid-19 to 28.0% after. More than half of the respondents (58.0% of them) said they deferred their dental care. The most common reason was fear of coronavirus infection (66.0%); this was followed by a clinic closure (46.0%) and financial constraints (42.0%). A significant difference in treatment delay was noted for females and males (p = 0.022). Dental anxiety was also highly associated with low attendance to routine visits (p < .001).
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on oral health and access to dental care. Findings were low routine visits, treatment delays and avoidance behaviors that were caused by fear. Enhanced communication on infection control, financial protection, and integration of oral healthcare in emergency preparedness frameworks is necessary to guarantee sustainability of dental care in future outbreaks of illnesses.
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