While many
parents feel that Covid-19 has made it difficult to get dental care for their
children, some noticed improvements in how their children are taking care of
their teeth and gums at home during the pandemic, according to a poll in the
US.
Others found that
the dental office had closed or reduced patient visits to urgent cases,
according to the CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health
at Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan.
“Regular
preventive dental care helps keep children’s teeth healthy and allows providers
to address any tooth decay or dental problems before they become more
serious,” said Mott Poll Co-director Sarah Clark.
“Our findings
highlight how the pandemic may have disrupted families’ dental care and
exasperated
potential disparities among those with insurance barriers.”
Some parents
attempted to continue their child’s regular dental check-ups, only to find
a
lengthy wait time
for an appointment, said Clark.
But the Mott Poll
report revealed a silver lining too: One in four parents described improvements
in how their children were taking care of their teeth and gums at home during
the pandemic.
The nationally
representative report is based on responses from 1,882 parents with at least
one child aged 3-18.
The American
Association of Pediatric Dentists recommends that children receive regular
teeth cleaning and exams every six months, starting when their first tooth
comes in.
Check-ups provide a
consistent opportunity to identify and treat tooth decay, to apply protective
treatments like sealants and fluoride varnish, and to educate parents and
children about good dental hygiene.
But to protect
patients and staff, some dental offices have changed or limited their
operations to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Sixty per cent of
parents in the poll have tried to get preventive dental care for their child
since the pandemic started.
While most got an
appointment in the usual time frame, 24 per cent experienced a delay, and 7 per
cent could not get an appointment at all, said the report.
Overall, one in
three parents feel Covid-19 has made it harder to get preventive dental care
for their child. IANS