AUTHOR=Cerqueira Thaissa Reis do Carmo , Batista Sayene Garcia , de Mello Elson Braga , DosSantos Marcos Fabio , Tuñas Inger Teixeira de Campos 

TITLE=Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stress, Sleep, and Oral Health in University Students

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pain Research

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2021.744264

DOI=10.3389/fpain.2021.744264

ISSN=2673-561X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by Sars-CoV-2, has become a worldwide stressor, especially as it represents a new viral infection, which spreads quickly and easily, without prior knowledge about vaccination, and absence, to this moment, of a medication that is totally effective against the disease.</p><p><bold>Objective:</bold> The aim of this observational study was to provide a general evaluation, through a questionnaire applied to students in the health field of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, on the psychological impacts and behavioral changes generated by the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health, especially the triggering or exacerbation of bruxism and temporomandibular disorders (TMD).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In order to verify the impacts of the pandemic on the health of UFRJ healthcare students, a non-randomized survey was performed with 370 students.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> It was found that 72% of the students had their sleep routine altered, 65% had greater difficulty in keeping their spirits up, there was a statistically significant increase in emotional stress, headaches, and daytime teeth clenching.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> It was possible to conclude that the outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in psychological, physiological and behavioral impacts on students.</p>