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FDI - Dental disaster: One year after first lockdowns dentists around the world confront the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's oral health: higher incidence of tooth decay and more advanced gum disease

GENEVA, Mar. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Changing routines: people skipping twice-daily toothbrushing, snacking between

meals at home, and not visiting the dentist

Ahead of World Oral Health Day (WOHD) [http://www.worldoralhealthday.org/] on

Saturday 20 March and one year into the pandemic, FDI councillors and members

say they are seeing first-hand the catastrophic aftermath of the virus on the

health of people's teeth and gums in dental practices around the globe.

"Let's call it for what it is—a dental disaster," said Dr Gerhard Konrad

Seeberger, president of FDI World Dental Federation. "Restrictions have

certainly played a part in oral health hesitancy, but they don't tell the whole

story."

During the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, dental practices around the

world were forced to close. For two to three months, all dental appointments

had to be postponed or cancelled, except for urgent emergency treatments. The

World Health Organization reported

[https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB148/B148_8-en.pdf] that oral health

services were among the most affected essential health services because of the

COVID-19 pandemic, with 77 per cent of countries reporting partial or complete

disruption.

- Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

Between the first and second wave, dental practices in many countries were able

to reopen. Dentists have always abided by the most stringent infection

prevention and control protocols and have also revised hygiene measures

mandated by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a recent

survey [http://www.worldoralhealthday.org/press] indicates that oral health

professionals have significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates than other

healthcare workers in most parts of the world.

Despite this, many people have still avoided routine check-ups and only visit

the dentist once they are in extreme pain. Many have developed advanced tooth

decay and related complications, including infections, which makes treatment

more complex.

Today, dentists are confronting the fallout from a year of disrupted dental

care and treatment. Professor Paulo Melo, an FDI Councillor who teaches and

practices dentistry in Porto, Portugal has seen a dozen of high-risk patients

who were afraid of being infected with COVID-19 and postponed their

appointments. High-risk patients are encouraged to have a dental check-up every

three to six months. Instead, many patients have waited nine months to a year,

or more, between appointments. Many have reported severe toothaches and

complications, leading to extractions for some and endodontic treatments for

others.

"During the pandemic, high-risk patients have tended to develop more than one

problem, often exhibiting three or four at the same time because too much time

has gone by without a check-up," said Melo. "Problems typically include caries

lesions and gum disease."

"Dental caries that could have been treated with a simple restoration have now

gone to the stage of apical periodontitis and abscesses, which call for more

sophisticated treatment," said Dr Vanishree MK, a Professor in Public Health

Dentistry, based in Bangalore, India. "Patients should set aside their fear and

not postpone essential, routine dental treatment."

"One of the dramatic consequences of the pandemic is that oral health issues

that were not considered urgent during the outbreak of the pandemic did in fact

became urgent after having to wait two months to seek treatment," said Dr Maria

Fernanda Atuesta Mondragon, president of the Colombian Dental Federation and

FDI councillor. "We've seen some patients undergoing orthodontic treatment who

have lost the gaps that were created for their teeth to align, while others

have developed significant periodontal issues."

"Teenagers usually suffer from dental caries, and I've observed an increasing

level of tooth decay in this age group," said Dr Nahawand Abdulrahman Thabet,

who practices in Cairo, Egypt, and is an FDI councillor. "A 15-year-old patient

of mine admitted he had been snacking more while stuck at home since the

closure of his school. I imagine thousands of kids his age are in a similar

situation."

The pandemic's repeated lockdowns, restrictions on people's movements and

work-at-home edicts have all contributed to shifting daily habits and

behaviours, ultimately impacting people's oral health.

Modelling good oral care habits like day and night brushing is imperative,

according to a global research study1 conducted by Unilever, which found that

children mirror parents' behaviours at a detriment to their own health.

Children are seven times more likely to skip brushing if their parent does not

brush day and night. Surveyed dentists agreed that the change in children's

oral care habits stemmed from the change in parents' routines. Despite the

ongoing challenges with the pandemic, it is crucial for parents to prioritise

their oral care routines as well as those of their children.

Dr Seeberger emphasized that "people must not be afraid to visit the dentist.

Safeguarding oral health is of paramount importance to ensure general health,

well-being and a good quality of life."

Further information: Protect your oral health during the COVID-19 pandemic

(Factsheet)

https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/WOHD21-factsheet-covid19-EN.pdf]

About World Oral Health Day

Celebrated annually on 20 March, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) was launched by

FDI World Dental Federation to raise global awareness on the prevention and

control of oral diseases. www.worldoralhealthday.org;

https://www.instagram.com/worldoralhealthday/ #WOHD21 #MouthProud

WOHD Global Partner: Unilever; WOHD Supporters: Wrigley Oral Healthcare

Program, 3M, Planmeca

About FDI World Dental Federation

FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for

over 1 million dentists worldwide. Its membership includes some 200 national

dental associations and specialist groups in over 130 countries. FDI has the

vision of leading the world to optimal oral health. www.fdiworlddental.org/;

facebook.com/FDIWorldDentalFederation; twitter.com/FDIWorldDental;

linkedin.com/company/fdiworlddentalfederation

Media contact:

Michael Kessler

FDI Media Relations

Mob: + 34 655 792 699

Email: michael.kessler@intoon-media.com

1 Unilever Global Research Summary Report 2021: Attitudes, Behaviours and

Experiences of Oral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic was conducted in

November-December 2020 with 6,734 parents in 8 countries: Bangladesh, Egypt,

France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Ghana, and Vietnam (available 19 March 2021).

https://www.pepsodent.com/bd/social-mission/world-oral-health-day.html#brushwithme]

SOURCE: FDI World Dental Federation