A collaborative study by the University of Melbourne and eviDent Foundation shows the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dental care of children across Australia. The COVID-19 restrictions caused higher levels of dental disease to children and limited access to dental care.
Associate Professor Matt Hopcraft, lead author of the study and the CEO of Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch said that the research found out that there were almost 900,000 fewer dental services in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Associate Professor Hopcraft said that the only functioning units during the COVID-19 pandemic were emergency dental care and this persisted from late March to September.
In April alone, there was an 86.9 percent decrease in terms of treatment access through the Child Dental Benefits Schedule and this translated to Victoria as well.
Restrictions on the provision of dental care were necessary back then to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. However, its impact on the oral health of Australians will be long-lasting. Considering cases of chronic and progressive dental diseases, lesser access to dental care may have been a huge contributing factor to poorer oral health and may lead to long-term problems for many Australians.
Tooth decay is one of the leading examples of dental health conditions that affect Australian children. For children aged five to six years old, one in three are affected with tooth decay while four in ten children aged 12-14 have tooth decay in their adult teeth.
Dental disease is the leading cause of hospitalisation that could be prevented among Australian children.
The CDBS provides $1000 worth of dental care especially for those who came from a lower socioeconomic background. It emphasises preventive care. With reduced care access during the COVID-19 pandemic, dental problems are more likely to become serious dental emergencies. This assertion was reflected in the fact that root canal treatments and extractions did not decrease despite the major decrease in preventive care provided.
Associate Professor Hopcraft said that delayed access to dental care implies that dentists might be dealing with more emergencies and poor health outcomes in the future as it could translate to a major concern—oral cancers.
