The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health inequalities and access to oral healthcare in England.

ABSTRACT: While the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health inequalities is documented, oral health has been absent from this discussion. This commentary highlights the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health inequalities in England in February 2021. It includes a literature review, Public Health England and Kantar Worldpanel sales data on health behaviours and analysis of NHS dental services data. Purchasing data indicate, except for smoking, increases in health-compromising behaviours. Since the resumption of dental services, NHS general dental service use modestly recovered among adults but not children by October 2020. There are clear inequalities among children and older adults, with more deprived groups having lower uptake of dental service use than mo

SUBMITTER: Stennett M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8796193 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature