Iqbal Azhar, Khattak Osama, Siddiqui Yasir Dilshad, Almaeen Saud Hamdan, Alqahtani Saeed, Alqahtani Saleh Ali, Hassan Saeed Awod Bin, Alshehri Faisal Hasan, Alsaeed Ali Y, Al-Omiri Mahmoud K
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Oral Health. 2025 Jul 21;25(1):1224. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-06540-y.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late December 2019, has significantly altered the dietary and oral health-related habits and lifestyles of nearly every age group within the global population.
The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dietary behaviors, daily oral hygiene practices and caries risk among children, adolescents, and young adults from diverse regions within Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional analytical study spanning multiple regions of Saudi Arabia was carried out to assess the effects of COVID-19 on dietary habits, oral hygiene practices, and caries risk across various age groups within the Saudi population. A total of 655 participants were included in the study after providing informed consent. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire divided into four sections: personal and demographic information, socioeconomic information, oral hygiene practices, and dietary habits, both prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown.
There was a notable increase in the caries experience rate, which escalated from 26.1% before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to 45.0% during the pandemic (P < 0.001). The findings suggest a significant shift in the dietary practices of children and adolescents when comparing the two timeframes. Specifically, there was a marked rise in meal frequency (P < 0.001), snacking patterns (P < 0.001), and the consumption of sugary products like candies, chocolates, milk, and coffee (P < 0.001) during the pandemic. Furthermore, the percentage of children and adolescents brushing their teeth three times a day plummeted from 47.8% before the pandemic to a mere 4.3% during it (P < 0.001). The proportion of individuals using fluoride toothpaste also experienced a decline, falling from 15.9% before the pandemic to 5.2% during this crisis (P < 0.001).
The study illustrates that the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially changed the dynamics of dental caries and oral health, resulting in an increased risk of caries and a worrying decline in daily oral hygiene practices. Additionally, there has been a significant drop in the application of topical fluoride via toothpaste. These findings point to the critical importance of personalized dental care during public health crises to alleviate negative effects and ensure the maintenance of oral health.
2019年12月底出现的新冠疫情显著改变了全球人口中几乎每个年龄组与饮食及口腔健康相关的习惯和生活方式。
本研究的目的是探讨新冠疫情对沙特阿拉伯不同地区儿童、青少年和年轻人的饮食行为、日常口腔卫生习惯及龋齿风险的影响。
在沙特阿拉伯多个地区开展了一项横断面分析研究，以评估新冠疫情对沙特人群中不同年龄组的饮食习惯、口腔卫生习惯及龋齿风险的影响。在获得知情同意后，共有655名参与者纳入研究。使用分为四个部分的问卷进行数据收集：个人和人口统计学信息、社会经济信息、口腔卫生习惯以及新冠疫情封锁前和封锁期间的饮食习惯。
龋齿患病率显著增加，从新冠疫情爆发前的26.1%升至疫情期间的45.0%（P < 0.001）。研究结果表明，在比较两个时间段时，儿童和青少年的饮食习惯发生了显著变化。具体而言，疫情期间进餐频率（P < 0.001）、吃零食模式（P < 0.001）以及糖果、巧克力、牛奶和咖啡等含糖产品的摄入量（P < 0.001）均显著增加。此外，儿童和青少年每天刷牙三次的比例从疫情前的47.8%骤降至疫情期间的仅4.3%（P < 0.001）。使用含氟牙膏的个体比例也有所下降，从疫情前的15.9%降至疫情期间的5.2%（P < 0.001）。
该研究表明新冠疫情已极大改变了龋齿和口腔健康的动态变化，导致龋齿风险增加且日常口腔卫生习惯令人担忧地下降。此外，通过牙膏使用局部氟化物也显著减少。这些发现表明在公共卫生危机期间个性化口腔护理对于减轻负面影响和确保维持口腔健康至关重要。
