Toothache and Non-Clinical Individual and School Factors in Five-Year-Old Children: Multilevel Analysis

Evaluation of Internet users' interest in paediatric dental problems during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on dental care providers; patients had trouble accessing routine dental care due to concerns about dentist and patient safety. People spent more time at home due to lockdown restrictions and a growth in individuals working from home. This increased the likelihood of looking for dental care information on the Internet. In the present study the aim was to compare the trends of Internet searches about paediatric dentistry before and after the pandemic.

METHODS

The monthly variation in relative search volume (RSV) and the lists of paediatric dentistry-related queries were determined from December 2016 to December 2021 using Google Trends. Two separate datasets were obtained before and after the pandemic. One-way ANOVA was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in RSV scores between the first 2 years of COVID-19 and the first 3 years before COVID-19. T-tests were used for bivariate comparisons.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant increase in queries regarding dental emergencies, especially toothache (p < 0.01) and dental trauma (p < 0.05). The RSV of paediatric dentistry queries increased over time (p < 0.05). Other queries about recommended dental procedures during the pandemic, such as the Hall technique and stainless steel crowns, showed an increasing trend. However, these were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

More searches were carried out, related to dental emergencies, on the Internet during the pandemic. Moreover, non-aerosol generating procedures such as the Hall technique became increasingly popular according to the frequency of searches carried out.

Prevalence of toothache and associated factors in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of toothache in children and adolescents and to verify its association with sociodemographic characteristics and dental caries experience.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Six main and three grey literature databases were searched in February 2021. Observational studies that assessed the prevalence of toothache and associated factors were included. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated following the guidelines by Fowkes and Fulton. Proportion and association meta-analyses were performed in MedCalc and Revman software, respectively. The certainty of the evidence was determined with the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

Seventy-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-two presented high methodological quality and a low risk of bias. The overall pooled prevalence of toothache in children and adolescents was 36.2% (95%CI: 33.0-39.42; I²: 99.72%; P < 0.001). Females (OR: 1.17; 95%CI: 1.08-1.26; I²: 91%; P < 0.001) and children and adolescents whose caregivers had ≤ 8 years of schooling (OR: 1.42; 95%CI: 1.30-1.56; I²: 77%; P < 0.001) presented the higher chance of reporting toothache. Dental caries experience increased the chance of reporting toothache in 3.49 times (95%CI: 2.70-4.51; I²: 92%; P < 0.001). The certainty of the evidence was very low.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall pooled prevalence of toothache was considered high. Sociodemographic characteristics (sex and caregivers' educational level) and previous dental caries experience were significantly associated with toothache reports.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Toothache is still a recurrent issue in many countries. Thus, it is essential to understand its possible associated factors to reduce the occurrence of new episodes.