Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted public health globally, with particular attention on the effects on children, adolescents, and young adults. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between COVID-19 and caries risk in this age group.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 120 patients between the ages of six and 25 years who received dental treatment at a university-affiliated dental clinic between January 2020 and December 2021. Demographic and medical data were collected, and dental examinations were performed to record the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMFS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, and multivariate regression analysis.
Results: Of the 120 patients, 40 were COVID-19-positive, and 32 of those patients were at high caries risk. Of the 80 patients who were COVID-19 negative, 48 were at high caries risk. There was a statistically significant association between COVID-19 exposure and caries risk. Participants who tested positive for COVID-19 had 1.8 times higher odds of dental caries than those who tested negative. However, no significant association was found between caries risk and age, gender, or previous dental history.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that COVID-19 may be a risk factor for caries in children, adolescents, and young adults. Dental professionals should consider COVID-19 exposure as a potential risk factor when assessing caries risk in this age group. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanism underlying this association.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.60142 | DOI Listing |
BMC Oral Health
January 2025
National Center for Professional Training, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
Background: Maintenance of oral health, prevention, and health promotion stand as primary competencies for dental graduates. Consequently, it is necessary to promote such an approach in dental schools, which are traditionally focused on treatment, to improve the attitude and practice of students in the field of prevention, the final result of which is the reduction of oral and dental diseases in patients. The study aimed to design Integrated Oral Health Care Pathways (IOHCPs) for adults and children referred to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Dentistry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of Epidemiology, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA.
The aim of this narrative review is to synthesize and discuss existing evidence on the epidemiological aspects of dental pain, addressing its prevalence, risk factors, population distribution, impact on the quality of life, and implications for public health. Dental pain is a common condition that involves complex mechanisms of pain transmission and perception. Dental pain can be due to various causes, such as caries, pulpitis, periodontitis, dental trauma, and soft tissue conditions (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt Dent J
December 2024
Department of Prosthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Luzhou, China; Institute of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China. Electronic address:
Background: Previous studies have indicated a potential relationship between iron status and oral health outcomes, specifically periodontitis and dental caries. This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal effects of iron status on these oral health conditions. The focus of this study was on key iron biomarkers, namely serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TSAT), and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDent J (Basel)
December 2024
Section of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Along with the long-term sequelae of preterm birth for general health, oral health is potentially influenced by prematurity due to developmental and behavioral peculiarities. This study aimed to compare oral health parameters in the mixed dentition of prematurely and full-term born children. Dental caries, developmental defects of enamel (DDE), and gingival inflammation were assessed in 7-to-9-year-old children ( = 38) born preterm (PT) compared to a matched control group born full-term (FT) in Germany.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA considerable portion of the global population is affected by pulpitis and periapical lesions. While the impact of infections caused by various microbes and host effector molecules in pulpal and periapical diseases is widely recognized, disease susceptibility and progression are also influenced by the dynamic interaction between host genetic factors and environmental influences. Apical periodontitis occurs as an inflammatory response to microorganisms present in the root canals of infected teeth.
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