Monotonic Trend of Oral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period in Caraga Region, Philippines

Abstract

Oral diseases are among the prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide, affecting billions of people. This research study analyzed oral health data from 2017 to 2021 to address the lack of published studies on dental cases in the Caraga Region. It focused on various aspects of oral health, including dental services, dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Data was collected by formally requesting information for various dental records collated from the Department of Health (DOH) Caraga database and collaborating with the Acebu Dental Clinic for images on dental diseases. In total, 547,405 individual dental cases from the Caraga region were collected from 2017-2021. The findings showed that noninvasive procedures often included oral hygiene counseling, while tooth extraction had the highest recorded data among invasive procedures. Data analysis by age group revealed that children aged nine and below had a higher susceptibility to dental caries, while those between 10 and 24 years old had higher instances of gingivitis. Individuals aged 25 and above were more prone to periodontal disease. The females exhibited a higher prevalence of dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis compared to males. Pregnant women also had a high incidence of untreated dental caries. This study reported a decline in the number of orally fit children, determined through oral examinations and complete rehabilitation, from 2017 to 2021. Trend analysis using the Mann-Kendall Test and Sen’s Slope revealed a monotonic decrease with negative values. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lockdowns, limited access to dental care, and decreased awareness of oral hygiene, likely contributed to the decline in reported cases during this period.