Journal of Oral Hygiene & Health
Open Access

Oral health; COVID-19; Dental symptoms; OHRQoL

Introduction

The respiratory illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In March 2020 the World Health Organization classified it as a pandemic. The disease has a complex and variable course. Aside from asymptomatic infections, mild to moderate courses and severe progressions with pneumonia leading to lung failure and mortality were also noted [1]. Public life in Germany was severely constrained beginning in March 2020 in order to control the fast rising number of infections and prevent a strain on the health system. People were therefore urged to stay inside and follow the contact limitations. Numerous businesses and services were forced to temporarily close [2]. In the interim, there was very little outpatient dental care available. Teaching in classroom in schools and childcare in day-care facilities for kids was both temporarily cancelled [3]. As a result, social and professional circumstances changed. As of May 2020, public life was gradually allowed to resume due to declining instances, although with on-going severe restrictions. On the sense of social stress and mental health, as well as on the aggravation of pre-existing mental illnesses, the COVID-19 pandemic and its countermeasures’ effects were demonstrated.

Although the relationship between social stress and mental disorders like depression and anxiety disorders and the development of dental problems like periodontitis or functional difficulties has not been clearly proven, numerous studies do indicate a correlation [4]. On the one hand, stress is frequently linked to inflammation and has the potential to affect the immune system. Contrarily, psychosocial variables can have a detrimental impact on health-related behaviours such as preventive oral hygiene, which in turn might increase infection or exacerbate already present inflammation [5].

The impact on a patient’s quality of life might be overlooked when evaluating oral health or disease in general from an objective, clinical perspective. The idea of oral health-related quality of life is a more patient-reported but arbitrary outcome [6]. As a result, this measure cannot show the clinical oral status; rather, it reveals how the individual feels about their oral health and how it affects their daily lives. It must be viewed as a multifaceted notion that includes oral health-related bio psychosocial factors Age13 and the cultural setting can have an impact. The patient-perceived impact is captured by instruments like the most popular Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) [7].

In order to determine whether there is a link between perceived psychosocial stress, symptoms of depressive disorders, and generalised anxiety disorders, this study looked at how German adults rated their OHRQoL during the COVID-19 pandemic [8]. Secondary research concerns included whether or whether people altered their oral hygiene practises during the COVID-19 pandemic and to what extent oral symptoms such as toothache, mucosal discomfort, dental hypersensitivity, or myofascial pain existed and evolved compared to pre-pandemic

Discussion

Dental care was in part restricted in Germany during the COVID-19 epidemic, and critical oral health care and disparities were debated. The findings of the current study highlight the on-going need for dental care In talks about mental health care, respondents also mentioned toothaches (21%), mucosal issues (23%), hypersensitivity (31%), and myofascial pain (27%) [9].

The absence of clinical data in favour of questionnaire-based data for evaluation is one of the study’s limitations The majority of the questionnaire, however, includes of questions that have been approved for use in epidemiological studies, including the OHIP-G14, the PHQStress, the PHQ-4, and the proposed DG PARO periodontitis risk score [10]. The known confounders for periodontitis and oral conditions,which can significantly affect OHRQoL, were also taken into account.

Given that the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 epidemic are frequently discussed in societal discourse32, it is also important to take into account a potential Hawthorne effect [11]. Due to the fact the paper-based version of the questionnaire was specifically given to older persons without internet access, differences between the two testing formats digital vs paper-based have been demonstrated.

Conclusion

Inside a confine of this study, the intensity of sadness and tension are classified as mild to moderate, and the feeling of pressure during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany is scored as medium In addition to an amplified level of despair, stress, and mental pressure becomes inversely connected with a COVID-19 history. The oral circumstances illustrated emphasise the on-going need for dental care during pandemics. The emotional effects and how they relate to oral health must be taken into account as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects unfold, as well as in light of the potential for future pandemics.

Acknowledgement

None

Conflict of Interest

None

1. Mazza, C, Janiri D, Giuseppin G, Agrifoglio B, Monti L, et al. (2020) How personality relates to distress in parents during the Covid-19 lockdown: The mediating role of child’s emotional and behavioral difficulties and the moderating effect of living with other people Int J Environ Res Public Health 18:255.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

2. Torales J, O’Higgins M, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Ventriglio A (2020) The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Int J Soc Psychiatry 66: 317–320.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

3. Cademartori MG, Gastal MT, Nascimento GG, Demarco FF, Corrêa MB (2018) Is depression associated with oral health outcomes in adults and elders? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Oral Invest 22: 2685–2702.

Google Scholar, Crossref

4. Decker A, Askar H, Tattan M, Taichman R, Wang HL (2020) The assessment of stress, depression, and inflammation as a collective risk factor for periodontal diseases: A systematic review. Clin. Oral Invest. 24: 1–12.

Google Scholar, Crossref

5. Warren KR,  Postolache TT, Groer ME, Pinjari O, Kelly DL, et al. (2014) Role of chronic stress and depression in periodontal diseases. Periodontol 2000: 127–138.

Google Scholar, Crossref

6. Persson K, Olin E, Ostman M (2010) Oral health problems and support as experienced by people with severe mental illness living in community-based subsidised housing-a qualitative study. Health Soc Care Community 18: 529–536.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

7. Pattanaik S, John MT, Chung S (2020) Foundations of oral health-related quality of life. J Oral Rehabil 48:73-80.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

8. Kocher T, Holtfreter  B, Dietrich T, Völzke H,  Dannewitz B (2018) The periodontitis risk score-via self-test to screening. Zahnarztl Mitt 2: 80–87.

Google Scholar

9. Berth HB, Löwe RL, Spitzer S, Zipfel WH (2003) PHQ-D: Gesundheitsfragebogen für Patienten. Z. Med. Psychol. 12: 90–93.

Google Scholar

10. Loades ME, Chatburn E,  Higson-Sweeney N, Reynolds S, et al. (2020) Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 59: 1218-1239.e3.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

11. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, et al. (2020) The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 395: 912–920.

Google Scholar, Crossref