Impact of Covid-19 fear on Oral Health behaviour among general Population of age 18 – 65 years of South Indian City

Abstract

Introduction - Dental procedures contribute to the contamination of equipment and surfaces with potential infections. Measures implemented to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in significant impacts on mental health and daily life which also affected oral health behaviors, routine diet, oral care habits, and dental appointments. So, this study aims to understand the oral health behavior during the pandemic and its association with fear of COVID-19. Material and Methods - A 24-item pre-tested self-administered questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 114 general people of Guntur city of the age group 18-65 for a period of 1 month. Exclusion criteria includes all dental professionals. Results - Majority of the subjects who opted that they don’t have changes in brushing habit during pandemic belongs to age group 18-25 years (52%). Subjects who opted that they don’t have changes in sugary food intake during pandemic were 26% and the subjects who opted that they have increased sugary food intake were also 26%. 60% of the people who have a dental problem stated that they didn’t visit the dentist due to fear of COVID-19. Conclusion - Regardless of age and educational background, many individuals were reluctant to visit dental clinics during the pandemic due to concerns about potential COVID-19 exposure. Those who became more cautious about their oral hygiene showed a greater fear of COVID-19. This caution resulted in changes in their food consumption frequency and preferences. Key Words - COVID-19, Fearness, General population, Oral health behavior