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Editorial - Child oral health; is there anything more to know?
V Ravaghi1, C Salomon-Ibarra1, J Morris1
1School of Dentistry, University of Birmingham.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted child dental care, potentially increasing vulnerability and dental costs. Reducing preventable dental disease is crucial for future child oral health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Routine child dental care in the UK was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The pandemic presents ongoing challenges for health services, including stricter infection control and economic impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the potential long-term impacts of the pandemic on child oral health.
- To emphasize the need for strategies to mitigate increased vulnerability and healthcare costs.
Main Methods:
- This is a discussion and perspective piece, not an empirical study.
- Analysis of potential socioeconomic factors affecting child oral health post-pandemic.
Main Results:
- The pandemic is likely to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities in children.
- Dental care delivery may become more challenging and costly.
Conclusions:
- Urgent focus is needed to reduce the burden of avoidable dental disease in children.
- Proactive measures are essential to address the anticipated challenges in pediatric dental care.
Abstract:
It seems a strange thing to be writing about child oral health in the middle of a virus pandemic that has, in the UK at least, paused all routine dental care. Perhaps not; as thoughts turn to the return of "normal" opera- tion there are concerns over potential ongoing impacts from COVID-19 on health services including stricter infection-control requirements and economic impacts from the lockdown. It invites ridicule to try and predict what will happen in the coming years, but the economic and social impacts are likely to increase vulnerability among the already vulnerable and the delivery of dental care is likely to be more problematic and more expensive. More than ever we need to reduce the burden of avoidable dental disease.
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