Exploring oral hygiene practices, nutritional habits and caries risk among children, adolescents and young adults: a multiregional perspective in the post-COVID-19 era.

Publication date: Jul 21, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late December 2019, has significantly altered the dietary and oral health-related habits and lifestyles of nearly every age group within the global population. The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dietary behaviors, daily oral hygiene practices and caries risk among children, adolescents, and young adults from diverse regions within Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional analytical study spanning multiple regions of Saudi Arabia was carried out to assess the effects of COVID-19 on dietary habits, oral hygiene practices, and caries risk across various age groups within the Saudi population. A total of 655 participants were included in the study after providing informed consent. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire divided into four sections: personal and demographic information, socioeconomic information, oral hygiene practices, and dietary habits, both prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown. There was a notable increase in the caries experience rate, which escalated from 26. 1% before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to 45. 0% during the pandemic (P 

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Concepts Keywords
Adolescents Adolescent
December Behaviour
Dietary Caries
Pandemic Child
Saudi COVID 19
COVID-19
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dental Caries
Diet
Feeding Behavior
Female
Humans
Male
Oral health
Oral Hygiene
Risk Factors
SARS-CoV-2
Saudi Arabia
Sugar intake
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH oral health
disease MESH lifestyles
pathway REACTOME Reproduction
disease MESH Dental Caries

Original Article

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