Interruption of regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic due to concerns regarding dental visits was associated with periodontitis in Japanese office workers

Abstract

Objective To investigate the interrelationships among concerns regarding dental visits, the status of regular dental visits, and periodontal health during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Background Continuous oral health care and regular dental visits are important for maintaining periodontal health. Due to the possibility of contracting COVID‐19, individuals have been reluctant to visit medical institutions. It is unclear how the periodontal health of the Japanese population has been affected by the interruption of regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic and how concerns regarding dental visits have affected attendance at regular dental visits. Methods This study included 199 Japanese office workers in one municipal office at Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (average age = 42.6 years; age range = 19–77 years; 123 men and 76 women). Periodontitis was defined based on a full‐mouth periodontal examination. The status of regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic and concerns regarding dental visits were obtained via questionnaire. We tested the hypothesis that concerns regarding dental visits would indirectly affect periodontal health through the interruption of regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We used mediation analysis, in which concerns regarding dental visits (present or absent) were set as the exposure, periodontitis (present or absent) was set as the outcome, and the status of regular dental visits (continued during the COVID‐19 pandemic or not) was set as the mediator. Results Of the 199 study participants, 108 had a habit of attending regular dental visits. Of these, 31 (28.7%) discontinued regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Compared to the individuals who continued regular dental visits, those who discontinued regular dental visits had a higher prevalence of periodontitis (49.4% vs 77.4%, p < 0.05) and concerns regarding dental visits (22.1% vs 64.5%, p < 0.05). Discontinuing regular dental visits significantly mediated the association between concerns regarding dental visits and periodontitis (natural indirect effect: odds ratio = 1.68, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–2.79, proportion mediated = 64.3%). Conclusion The study results showed that individuals who discontinued regular dental visits during the COVID‐19 pandemic due to concerns regarding dental visits had relatively poor periodontal health.

Factors Associated with Regular Dental Checkups’ Discontinuation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey in Japan

“…Previous studies have shown that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, RDCs have been postponed due to factors related to dental practices and patients [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]; these studies were conducted in the early stages of the pandemic. RDCs were postponed because of their low urgency among dental treatments [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], and many people feared dental visits due to the pandemic [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

“…A study in Germany conducted in July 2020 found that 22% postponed dental visits because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of those who reported postponement, 72% reported postponing RDCs [15]. In November 2020, a survey of workers in a local municipal office in Japan showed that 28.7% of the respondents stopped RDCs due to the COVID-19 pandemic [16].…”

“…A study in Germany conducted in July 2020 found that 22% postponed dental visits because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of those who reported postponement, 72% reported postponing RDCs [ 15 ]. In November 2020, a survey of workers in a local municipal office in Japan showed that 28.7% of the respondents stopped RDCs due to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 16 ]. In addition, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, urgent dental treatments, such as surgical procedures, were prioritized, while less urgent treatments, such as RDCs, were postponed [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…However, few studies have been conducted on a nationwide scale on whether people stopped receiving RDCs since the COVID-19 pandemic even if they had habitually received RDCs before the pandemic. Most previous studies were conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Although it has been more than 18 months since the WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation of those who have not resumed RDCs is unclear.…”

Relationship between Psychological Status and Health Behaviors during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…The reduced dental visits among the elderly may have been influenced by the fact that routine dental services were partially restricted when COVID-19 infection first began to spread, rather than by anxiety and stress factors. In the elderly prone to periodontal complications, interruption of home life and dental care due to COVID-19 may exacerbate periodontal disease [19]. Weber et al [20] reported that the decrease in dental-related quality of life of older adults requiring care during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with decreased social support.…”