Impact of Dental Problems and Parental Fear and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Children Aged 6 to 9 Years

Authors
Hamed Habibi
Fatemeh Shekarchi
Ali Asghar Soleymani
Zahra Babaei
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: Corona disease (COVID-19) has affected human relationships and the provision of oral and dental health care worldwide for many reasons, including its contagiousness and nationwide quarantines. This study investigated the effect of child toothache, parents' fear of COVID-19, and parental stress on dental and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of 6-to 9-year-old children during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Methods and Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 6- to 9-year-old children reported their pain using a visual pain scale. Parents' fear of COVID-19 was evaluated using the COVID-19 fear scale questionnaire, and parents' stress was assessed using the corresponding questionnaire. Also, the Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale evaluated children's OHRQOL. The variables were analyzed through Spearman's correlation and linear regression at a statistical significance level of 5%.

Results: The average age of the sample was 7.12 years, and about 64.2% were boys. The amount of pain expressed by children due to decayed teeth, parental stress, and fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with OHRQOL during the COVID-19 pandemic; significance levels were p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.003; respectively.

Conclusion and Discussion: Dental pain intensity, stress level, and parental fear of COVID-19 had a negative effect on OHRQOL in 6- to 9-year-old children during the COVID-19 pandemic.



Keywords
COVID-19
Fear
Pandemics
Quality of Life
Toothache