Covid-19 and Its Aftermath on Pediatric Oral Health

A Study of Dental Caries and Hygiene in Romanian Children

Bibliographic Data

ID15719554
AuthorsMărioara Ilea (Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș), Maximilian Ilea (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science & Technology of Târgu Mureş, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania), Alina Ioana Forray (0000-0002-6373-2482, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy), Nausica Bianca Petrescu (0000-0003-3450-1068, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, corresponding author), Ioana-Codruţa Mirică (Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy), Alina Ormenișan (0000-0002-1218-4201, Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș), Mine Betül Üçtaşlı (0000-0002-5670-6921, Gazi University), Mine Betül Üçtaşli (Gazi University), Adriana Melnic (0000-0002-5503-473X, Romanian Society of Nephrology), Ondine Lucaciu (0000-0002-0092-8955, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy), Ondine Patricia Lucaciu (Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy)
Year2025
Volume12
Issue8
Pages1061-1061
Publication date2025-08-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/children12081061
PMID40868512
OpenAlexW4413104469
LanguageEN
References cited59

Background/Objectives : Official data on the oral health of young children in Romania are limited, especially concerning the societal shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to compare the oral health status, hygiene habits, diet, and dental care patterns of 6-year-old children in a rural Romanian region before and after the pandemic. Methods : A cross-sectional survey studied two groups of 6-year-olds from rural Transylvania: Group 1 ( n = 77), assessed 2018-2020 pre-pandemic, and Group 2 ( n = 136), assessed in 2024 post-pandemic. Clinical data used the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Parents completed questionnaires on oral hygiene, diet, dental visits, and pandemic-related topics for Group 2. Chi-square, Student's t -tests, and a multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results : Post-pandemic, 70% of children brushed twice daily, up from 26%. Despite this, negative outcomes increased: the number of affected teeth rose from 6.8% to 29.6% ( p Conclusions : This study reveals a significant oral health paradox: despite a three-fold increase in recommended toothbrushing, caries experience in permanent teeth increased four-fold. This outcome was driven by a high-risk environment of more cariogenic diets and reduced preventive care, with lower maternal education also identified as a key independent risk factor. These findings show that promoting hygiene alone is insufficient, underscoring the urgent need for public health programs that integrate nutritional counseling, improve access to preventive care, and address underlying socioeconomic disparities

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Cross-sectional study · Dental care · Dental health · Disease · Environmental health · Family medicine · Hygiene · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Oral health · Oral hygiene · Pandemic · Tooth brushing · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Dentistry · Medicine · Oral microbiology and periodontitis research

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