Assessment of attitudes and practices regarding oral healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic among the parents of children aged 4-7 years.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about radical changes in our habits and lifestyles. The suspension of schools has led children to spend long hours at home, with reduced socialization, and changes in dietary patterns, oral hygiene practices and sleep routines. During a pandemic, appropriate oral health management and disease prevention are very important for the child's oral and general health. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes and practices of parents with regard to their children's oral healthcare, dietary habits and dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 381 Indian parents of children aged 4-7 years. A self-instructed questionnaire was designed in English using the Google Forms platform. The questionnaire consisted of 4 parts: sociodemographic data; dietary habits of the child; oral hygiene measures; and dental information. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics (the χ2 test). RESULTS: Among the children included in the study, 48% of those who experienced dental problems during the pandemic consumed more snacks and packaged foods between meals. Among the parents, 80% reported that their children used electronic devices at mealtimes, and 60% reported the food pouching habit in their children. A total of 71% of parents assisted their child at tooth brushing, while only 28% of the parents would take their child to the dental clinic for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the shortfalls in attitudes and practices among parents in relation to dietary habits, oral hygiene measures and the use of dental services during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding their children. This could be attributed to a lack of awareness, the fear of exposure and the inconveniences faced by parents.

Knowledge and Attitude about Infant Oral Health: A Paradox among Pregnant Women.

AIM: To assess the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women about infant oral healthcare. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional questionnaire study. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 350 primigravida women aged between 20 and 40 years visiting the DY Patil Medical Hospital for their antenatal examination. A multiple-choice questionnaire with 12 questions in addition to demographic information and socioeconomic status was designed in three languages. RESULTS: Based on the level of education of the pregnant women, there was a statistically significant difference in knowledge and attitude toward infant oral healthcare (p = 0.001). The occupational status resounded significant differences between employed vs housewives and unemployed women (p = 0.000). Socioeconomic status also showed significant differences between the upper strata and lower strata groups (p = 0.000). STATISTICS: Data normality was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Shapiro-Wilk test. Since the data were not normally distributed, we used nonparametric tests for analysis. The total scores for different domains were compared between the different subgroups based on age, occupation, education, trimester, and socioeconomic status using nonparametric one-way ANOVA (Kruskal-Wallis test). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons were done using Bonferroni's method. All testing was done using two-sided tests with alpha = 0.05 (95% confidence level). CONCLUSION: This study gives us an insight into the inadequacies existing in our society amongst expectant women in relation to oral health-promoting factors for infants. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Educating pregnant women about maintaining their own oral health and care for their offspring will potentially help to curb early childhood dental diseases in future generations.

Pyogenic granuloma of the gingiva: A misnomer? - A case report and review of literature.

Pyogenic granuloma is a commonly occurring inflammatory hyperplasia of the skin and oral mucosa. It is not associated with pus as its name suggests and histologically it resembles an angiomatous lesion rather than a granulomatous lesion. It is known by a variety of names such as Crocker and Hartzell's disease, granuloma pyogenicum, granuloma pediculatum benignum, benign vascular tumor and during pregnancy as granuloma gravidarum. This tumor like growth is considered to be non-neoplastic in nature and it presents itself in the oral cavity in various clinical and histological forms. Due to its frequent occurrence in the oral cavity, especially the gingiva, this article presents a case report of a large pyogenic granuloma of the gingiva and its management, reviews the literature and discusses why the term "pyogenic granuloma" is a misnomer.