ArticleBMC oral health2026
Toothbrushing behavior changes among korean students pre- and post-COVID-19: lessons and policy implications.
Article in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesIn South Korea, the nationally funded School Oral Health Room Program has promoted children's oral hygiene practices since 1999; however, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these behaviors. This study investigates changes in toothbrushing practices among South Korean children aged 4-15 across before, during, and after Covid-19.
methodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VIII-IX, 2018-2023), including 5,251 children aged 4-15 years. Toothbrushing behaviors were assessed across three periods: Before COVID (2018-2019), during COVID (2020-2021), and after COVID (2022-2023). Complex-samples chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses (adjusted for sex and age) were conducted.
resultsBrushing after lunch declined markedly across all age groups during and after the pandemic (e.g., 4-6-year-olds: 83.5% to 55.1%). In contrast, brushing before bedtime increased post-pandemic, particularly among older children (e.g., 10-12-year-olds: 59.6% to 74.2%). Brushing after breakfast declined during the pandemic with partial recovery, while brushing before breakfast showed mixed trends and after-dinner brushing decreased among older children.
conclusionsCOVID-19 disrupted school-based toothbrushing, leading to reduced post-lunch brushing and increased bedtime brushing. These changes underscore the need for adaptable oral health programs that can sustain effectiveness during public health crises.
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