The purpose of this study is to compare oral hygiene status and dietary habits of 3-5years old children and their parents with a questionnaire and clinic examination betweenpre- and post-COVID-19 period.
Study Rationale and Objectives:
The primary motivation behind this study lies in understanding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on oral health behaviors, specifically focusing on children at high risk for
dental caries.
Objectives include assessing changes in tooth brushing habits and dietary patterns among
both children and their parents.
Study Design:
The study employs a prospective observational design. Participants are parents of 155
children aged 3-5 years. Data collection occurs at two time points: before and after the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Data Collection Instruments:
A structured questionnaire is administered to parents. It covers:
Children's and parents' dietary habits (frequency of sugary food consumption). Oral
hygiene practices (tooth brushing frequency). The index of decayed-missing-filled
deciduous teeth (dmft) is used to assess dental caries status in children.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a limited impact on high-caries-risk children's tooth brushing
habits.
However, increased sugary food consumption by both children and parents exacerbated
caries risk.
Collaborative efforts between healthcare professionals and parents are crucial to
mitigate negative oral health effects during such challenging times.
Inclusion Criteria:
- 3-5 year old children with high caries risk. To identify high caries-risk children,
the criteria used by the the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) for
assessing a child's dental caries risk were applied.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Childrens with systemic health problems and childrens with any space maintainers.
Zeliha Hatipoğlu Palaz
Ankara 323786, Biskek Street/ Emek, Turkey (Türkiye)