# Prevalence of dental caries in a pediatric population during the COVID-19 omicron pandemic era in South India

## TL;DR

This study examines how common tooth decay was among children in South India during the Omicron wave of the pandemic.

## Contribution

The study provides new data on dental caries prevalence in a pediatric population during the Omicron era in South India.

## Key findings

- The majority of examined pediatric patients had dental caries.
- The study highlights the impact of the pandemic on oral health in children.

## Abstract

Caries is a multifactorial disease that involves a majority of the pediatric population. If not diagnosed and treated, it can lead to severe consequences affecting the permanent dentition. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of oral foci of infection in a multispeciality hospital during the pandemic in Chennai, South India. The majority of the patients examined had caries.