Impact of natural disaster on oral health: A scoping review

Abstract

Natural disasters may affect oral health as a result of serious damage to social function and public health. However, no article has systematically summarized the impact of natural disasters on oral health. This review aimed to map the existing literature on the impact of natural disasters on oral health. Targeted literature was searched using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases with the keywords "disaster" and "oral health." Eligibility criteria were established based on the Participant-Concept-Context model, and eligible studies were identified based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 flow diagram. Eight eligible studies related to earthquakes were included in this review. Of these, 7 studies were related to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Oral health status of victims of disaster was analyzed by assessing the following parameters: questionnaire surveys; examination for fungal infection; and analyses of the teeth, periodontal, and oral hygiene condition. Six studies suggested that natural disasters had a negative impact on oral health. Two studies could not determine the impact of natural disasters on oral health. Only 1 study analyzed the impact of disasters on oral health based on pre- and postdisaster surveys. This scoping review found that there was insufficient evidence to suggest a relationship between natural disasters and oral health and that there are biases in geographical areas and types of natural disasters in this research field. Further research is needed to promote evidence-based support by dental professionals during different disaster phases.

Figure 1.

Flow diagram based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 flowchart template of the search and selection process.