BackgroundDental caries, traumatic dental injury (TDI) and malocclusion are common oral health conditions among preschool children and can have both physical and psychosocial consequences. Thus, it is important to measure the impact these on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of oral health conditions on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their families.MethodsA preschool-based, cross-sectional study was carried out with 843 preschool children in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/caregivers answered the Brazilian Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale and a questionnaire addressing socio-demographic data as well as the parent’s/caregiver’s perceptions regarding their child’s health. Clinical exams were performed by three researchers who had undergone a calibration process for the diagnosis of dental caries, TDI and malocclusion (K = 0.83-0.85). Hierarchical Poisson regression was employed to determine the strength of associations between oral health conditions and OHRQoL (α = 5%). The multivariate model was run on three levels obeying a hierarchical approach from distal to proximal determinants: 1) socio-demographic data; 2) perceptions of health; and 3) oral health conditions.ResultsThe prevalence of impact from oral health conditions on OHRQoL was 32.1% among the children and 26.2% among the families. The following variables were significantly associated with a impact on OHRQoL among the children: birth order of child (PR = 1.430; 95% CI: 1.045-1.958), parent’s/caregiver’s perception of child’s oral health as poor (PR = 1.732; 95% CI: 1.399-2.145), cavitated lesions (PR = 2.596; 95% CI: 1.982-3.400) and TDI (PR = 1.413; 95% CI: 1.161-1.718). The following variables were significantly associated with a impact on OHRQoL among the families: parent’s/caregiver’s perception of child’s oral health as poor (PR = 2.116; 95% CI: 1.624-2.757), cavitated lesions (PR = 2.809; 95% CI: 2.009-3.926) and type of TDI (PR = 2.448; 95% CI: 1.288-4.653).ConclusionCavitated lesions and TDI exerted a impact on OHRQoL of the preschool children and their families. Parents’/caregivers’ perception of their child’s oral health as poor and the birth order of the child were predictors of a greater impact on OHRQoL.

Toothpastes should have a minimum concentration of 1000 ppm of fluoride (F) to control caries and also the active F agent must be chemically free (soluble) in the formulation. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of soluble F in dentifrices used by 206 Brazilian children. The concentrations of total fluoride (TF), total soluble fluoride (TSF) and fluoride ion were determined. From these analyses, the concentrations of F as sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) and % of insoluble F were calculated. F was analyzed with an ion specific electrode in duplicates. The majority of dentifrices used (96%) contained F and in 84% of them, TF concentration was according to that declared by the manufacturers. In the F-toothpastes, 78% showed TSF concentration ≥ 1000 ppm, varying from 422.3 to 1432.3 ppm F (mean ± SD of 1017.6 ± 239.4). These findings suggest that most dentifrices used by Brazilian children present available fluoride concentration for caries control.

This study evaluated the impact of molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) according to the perceptions of schoolchildren and their parents/caregivers. This cross-sectional study consisted of a sample of 594 schoolchildren between 11 and 14 years of age and their parents/caregivers who answered the questionnaires CPQ11-14ISF:16 and P-CPQ, respectively. The main independent variable of this study was MIH of the schoolchildren. Experience of dental caries, malocclusion, and socioeconomic status were treated as confounding variables. Statistical analysis used descriptive analysis and Poisson regression with robust variance. The prevalence of MIH was 18.9%. The overall P-CPQ score ranged from 0 to 35 (average = 7.26 ± 6.84), and the overall CPQ11-14ISF:16 score ranged from 0 to 47 (average = 11.92 ± 7.98). Severe MIH was associated with a greater negative impact of the "functional limitation" domain (RR = 1.41; 95%CI = 1.01-1.97), according to parents'/caregivers' perceptions. Severe MIH was associated with a greater negative impact of the "oral symptom" domain (RR = 1.30; 95%CI = 1.06-1.60) and functional limitation domain (RR = 1.42; 95%CI = 1.08-1.86), according to the schoolchildren's perceptions. Schoolchildren with severe MIH had a greater negative impact on the oral symptom and functional limitation domains than those without MIH. According to parents'/caregivers' perceptions, schoolchildren with severe MIH had a greater negative impact on the functional limitation domain than those without MIH.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the perceived impact of dental caries and dental pain on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among preschool children and their families. A cross-sectional study was conduct with 843 preschool children in Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire on socio-demographic information, their child’s general/oral health and history of dental pain. The Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale was administered to determine the perceived impact of caries and dental pain on OHRQoL. The children underwent an oral examination. Logistic regression for complex sample was used to determine associations between the dependent and independent variables (OR: Odds ratio, α = 5%). The independents variables that had a p-value <0.20 in the bivariate analysis were selected for the multivariate model. The prevalence of dental caries and dental pain was 66.3% and 9.4%, respectively. Order of birth of the child, being the middle child (OR: 10.107, 95%CI: 2.008-50.869) and youngest child (OR: 3.276, 95%CI: 1.048-10.284) and dental pain (OR: 84.477, 95%CI: 33.076-215.759) were significant predictors of the perceived impact on OHRQOL for children. Poor perception of oral health was significant predictor of the perceived impact on OHRQOL for family (OR=7.397, 95%CI: 2.190-24.987). Dental caries was not associated with a perceived impact on the ORHQoL of either the children or their families. However, order of child birth and dental pain were indicators of impact of OHRQoL on preschool children and poor perception of oral health was indicators of impact on families.

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