covid-19 and children C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 9 , Nº 1 0
Impact of COVID-19 on the Pediatric Population Jessica Y. Lee DDS, MPH, PhD; Janice A. Townsend, DDS, MS; and Eva C. Ihle, MD, PhD
abstract In March 2020, the U.S. declared a state of emergency and stay-at-home orders were issued. This included school closures and limitation of dental practice to emergency treatment only. While public health measures were very much needed, it was not without unintended consequences. School closures only compound the economic, health and achievement inequities, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged children, which also includes access to dental care. As we emerged from the stay-at-home orders, dental practices have had to adapt and evolve. Keywords: COVID-19, pediatric dentistry, child health
AUTHORS Jessica Y. Lee DDS, MPH, PhD, is the Demeritt distinguished professor of pediatric dentistry and chair of the division of pediatric and public health at the University of North Carolina. She is also a professor in the department of health policy and management in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Lee is the current president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
Janice A. Townsend, DDS, MS, is the chief of pediatric dentistry at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and chair of the division of pediatric dentistry at The Ohio State College of Dentistry. Dr. Townsend previously served as an associate professor and chair of the department of pediatric dentistry at the Louisiana State Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry, where she is also the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana professor in pediatric dentistry. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
Eva C. Ihle, MD, PhD, is the interim medical director of the division of infant, child and adolescent psychiatry at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. She also directs the hospital’s program to enhance access to psychiatric care for underserved populations by partnering with primary care clinics. Dr. Ihle studied social behaviors in songbirds and a mouse model for autism. She also has examined the mechanisms that support health and well-being in individuals under stress. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
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he COVID-19 pandemic is a generation-defining event with unprecedented human, social and economic implications. This global health crisis has become the focal point of concerted efforts by international and state agencies, industry and the civil society. Amid the pandemic, optimizing care and health outcomes for COVID-19 patients and their communities remain top priority — at the same time, operating in “the new normal” is a pressing challenge for virtually all sectors. COVID-19 is arguably the most disruptive change that health care education has ever encountered. Within this adverse and rapidly changing environment, pediatric health care providers are faced with unique challenges that not only affect their clinical practices but also the well-being, development and mental health of an entire generation. O C TOBER 2 0 2 1
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