Does the use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic impact on oral hygiene habits, oral conditions, reasons to seek dental care and esthetic concerns?

Background To evaluate the impact of the use of face masks on oral hygiene habits; oral conditions self-perception; reasons to seek dental treatment; and esthetic concerns. Material and methods 1346 participants answered a web-based survey with questions related to the aims of the study. Descriptive statistic was performed and the responses were analyzed with chi-square test and regression analysis. Results With the use of masks, toothbrushing frequency decreased significantly, and people are significantly less concerned about oral hygiene. The number of subjects that reported to have halitosis increased significantly and this was associated with a decrease in toothbrushing frequency. The g…