Pandemic disrupts overall oral healthcare: Research

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to immense disruption in people's daily lives, which has made them more indifferent to dental care, according to a recent research report.

Adults have admitted they have fallen into bad habits whilst spending more time at home during the pandemic and are more relaxed about their children's routines too, said the report, entitled "Bangladesh Research Summary Report: Attitudes, Behaviours and Experiences of Oral Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic."

According to the research, commissioned by Pepsodent on the occasion of World Oral Health Day, 31% of adults, 33% of parents and 35% of children in Bangladesh have not been brushing their teeth twice a day during the pandemic.

This means over 1 in 4 children are not brushing their teeth twice a day.

Meanwhile, six out of ten people (64%) told the surveyors that they had experienced oral health problems since the outbreak of the pandemic. 

The report notes that most people have experienced five most common oral health issues during the pandemic. 

Of those who participated in the survey, 30% endured pain with teeth, gums or mouth, 27% reported that gums and teeth bleeding occurred when brushing or flossing, 27% witnessed trouble eating due to pain, 27% said headaches occurred due to teeth pain and 25% had pain in their jaws. 

Many adults also admitted they had avoided visiting dentists during the pandemic. 

Professor Dr Humayun Kabir Bulbul, Principal of Dhaka Dental College, told The Business Standard that people's lifestyles had changed during the pandemic and they brushed their teeth less now.

"Moreover, healthcare organisations were not functional for proper treatment of minor oral diseases. People neglected oral healthcare unless they had severe problems. So, currently dental and oral diseases have increased a lot," said Dr Bulbul, who is also secretary general of Bangladesh Dental Society.

He added, "The coronavirus enters through the nose and mouth and stays in the throat for two to three days. That is why we advise people to brush teeth twice a day by using a mouthwash with povidone iodine, which breaks the outer layer of the virus."

"During the Covid-19 pandemic it is more important to follow the advice we give to protect oral health, because on the one hand it will be good for oral health and on the other hand it will be a protection against coronavirus infection," he added.

Afzal Hasan Khan, director of Beauty and Personal Care, Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, told TBS, "Whether it is pandemic or normal times, one has to take care of one's teeth and mouth. Awareness plays the biggest role here, especially parental awareness regarding their children. When good habits are formed in childhood, they have a major role in children's later life."

"Parents and teachers play important roles in creating awareness among children about oral health. At Unilever, we also try to create awareness among children about dental care. That is why we have various programmes in place to create awareness by going to schools or taking dentists to people," he added.

The Official Global Report by Pepsodent said around 6,700 respondents from eight countries – Vietnam, Indonesia, Italy, France, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana and India – took part in the 30-minute online survey. Parallel to this, qualitative research was conducted among dental professionals to investigate the impact of the pandemic on their practice. 

World Oral Health Day 2021 is being observed on Saturday with the theme "Be Proud of Your Mouth."