Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Care of Babies and Children

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people's lives and also dental and medical care.

To evaluate parents' attitudes toward their children's dental care and habits during the early and intermediate stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

A structured online questionnaire containing 22 questions (available from August 19^th to September 18^th, 2020) was used. The parents of babies and children (aged 0-6 years) who were visiting the Baby Clinics of the Dental Department were eligible to participate in this study.

During the stay-at-home orders, only 21.1% of the parents continued to take their child to the pediatrician for routine follow-up; 22.6% took the children to the doctor only due to an emergency. Most parents (53.5%) reported being very afraid of going out with their babies/ children during the pandemic and became infected. Most parents (84.9%) reported having doubts about maintaining their baby/child’s oral health guidelines during quarantine, and 81.1% had doubts about what to do in case of eruption of their baby/ child’s teeth. Some parents reported a decrease in the oral hygiene and eating habits of their babies/ children during the pandemic. The parents with a reduced income reported a significantly greater reduction in oral hygiene habits.

During the early and intermediate stages of the pandemic, when stay-at-home orders were suggested, parents of children aged 0-6 were afraid to take their children to medical and dental appointments. Besides that, these caregivers also claimed that their family routines of food and oral hygiene were altered.