Associations between fear of COVID-19, dental anxiety, and psychological distress among Iranian adolescents

Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cleft Lip and Palate with and Without Speech Therapy During COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

Cleft-related speech concerns can affect the quality of life (QOL) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in-person speech therapy (ST) was restricted due to fear of getting infected. This study aimed to compare QOL in patients with CLP with and without ST during the pandemic.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional Study.

SETTING

CLP team at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-six CLP subjects with a mean age of 17.33 ± 4 years participated in two groups, including with and without ST. Fifteen subjects had cleft palate only (CPO) and others had CLP.

INTERVENTIONS

ST group received at least 10 ST sessions, and group without ST didn't receive ST during COVID-19.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

A virtual link of demographic and QOL adolescent cleft (QoLAdoCleft) questionnaires were sent to fill out. Results were extracted and transferred to SPSS.

RESULTS

Total and subscales' scores of QoLAdoCleft were lower in ST group than without ST but differences between them weren't statistically significant (P > .05). Furthermore, according to cleft type, there weren't any statistically significant differences in total, physical, and social subscales of QoLAdoCleft (P > .05); however, psychological subscale in CLP had a higher significant score than CPO (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

QOL was weak in all patients with CLP, and receiving/not receiving ST couldn't make noticeable differences between them. It seems; COVID-19 pandemic can have an adverse effect on these results. Also, subjects with CLP had weaker psychological than CPO due to negative psychosocial feedback related to Orofacial deformities received from society.

Evaluating the influence of static management on individuals' oral health

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of static management on individuals' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) according to the dynamic zero-COVID policy in China.

METHODS

The digital questionnaire conducted with three sub-questionnaires was sent to 700 patients who accepted treatment at the Department of Stomatology, 363 Hospital. Data on demographic characteristics, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 and willingness to invest in oral health were collected from the 658 completed questionnaires. According to the state of individuals' lives, participants were divided into two groups: a static management group (Group 1) and a nonstatic management group (Group 2). The scores of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 and willingness to invest in oral health were compared between these two groups using IBM SPSS Statistics.

RESULTS

The results showed that individuals undergoing static management reported better OHRQoL. Meanwhile, they also presented lower willingness to invest money and dental visits in oral health. Furthermore, according to the results of the logistic regression analysis, aging acts as a negative correlation factor for the OHRQoL of people undergoing static management, while the willingness to invest money and dental visits in oral health is defined as a positive predictor for OHRQoL.

CONCLUSION

Static management effects the OHRQoL of individuals. Aging and WTIOH in money and dental visits are related the individuals' OHRQoL during static management.

Determining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Care in the Serbian Adult Population: An Online Questionnaire-Based Study

BACKGROUND Emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) could lead to an increase in dental anxiety, avoidance of dental visits, and general neglect of oral health. This online questionnaire-based study conducted in April and May of 2021 in Serbia aimed to determine the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental care. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 2060 adult citizens of the Republic of Serbia who participated in an anonymous online questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were collected on dental care routine prior to and during the pandemic, and the fear of negative consequences for oral health. The results were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and the paired t test. RESULTS Approximately one-fifth of the respondents postponed dental visits during the pandemic. Concern about postponing dental treatment was expressed by more than one-half of the respondents (57.1%), while 21.4% thought that they were already experiencing the consequences. Avoidance of preventive examinations and improvement of oral hygiene are more common among the elderly compared to younger respondents (P=.000). CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the habit of avoiding dental interventions due to fear, but it did lead to part of the population completely avoiding even urgent dental interventions during the peak of the pandemic, and opting for tooth extraction rather than treatment. The strongest impact on dental care in the pandemic was among people over 64 years old.