Frequency and factors associated with visit to the dentist by Brazilian schoolgirls during the Covid-19 pandemic
Keywords:
Cirurgião dentista, COVID-19, Cárie dentária, EpidemiologiaAbstract
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the influence of COVID-19 fear and oral conditions on the frequency of dental visits among Brazilian schoolchildren during the social isolation period of the pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with a sample of 149 children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 years from a public school in the city of Maravilhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data collection was performed through telephone questionnaires, obtaining information about the child’s characteristics, presence of toothache, dental trauma, possible sleep and awake bruxism, toothbrushing, and dental visits. COVID-19 fear was measured using the Brazilian version of The Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Data were entered and organized using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 21.0 software. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, univariate and multiple Poisson regression (95% CI; p < 0.05).
Results: The frequency of schoolchildren’s dental visits during the pandemic was 34.2% (n = 51). Children and adolescents whose parents/guardians reported a high level of COVID-19 fear (PR: 0.508; 95% CI: 0.320 - 0.808; p = 0.004) were less likely to visit the dentist. Conversely, children and adolescents with toothache (PR: 2.453; 95% CI: 1.660 - 3.626; p < 0.001) and possible awake bruxism (PR: 1.604; 95% CI: 1.019 - 2.526; p = 0.041) were more likely to seek dental care. No statistically significant association was found between other study variables and dental visits.
Conclusion: In conclusion, children and adolescents with toothache and possible awake bruxism were more likely to visit the dentist. On the other hand, parents/guardians who reported a high level of COVID-19 fear were less likely to take their children to the dentist.
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