earticle

영어

Objectives: This study was intended to examine changes in self-reported oral symptoms among Korean adolescents across three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: pre-COVID, during COVID, and the transition phase following the peak of the pandemic. Methods: Data from 329,357 students who participated in the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey were analyzed. Four symptoms were examined: broken or fractured teeth, pain from hot/cold foods, throbbing or aching pain, and gum pain or bleeding. Complex sample logistic regression was used, adjusting for sex, school type, region, economic status, academic achievement, and living arrangement. Results: Trauma- and stimulus-related symptoms decreased significantly during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Gum pain or bleeding increased slightly during the transition phase (OR=1.031, p=0.020), but trends varied by symptom type. Conclusions: COVID-19 had heterogeneous effects on oral symptoms among adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of symptom-specific strategies and continuous preventive oral health services during public health crises.