BackgroundPain is a major consequence of caries, which negatively impacts the quality of life of children and their families.AimTo analyse the parental report of dental pain and discomfort in preschool children, and to identify clinical and sociodemographic factors associated.DesignThis cross‐sectional study involved 375 four‐ and five‐year‐old preschoolers enrolled in the city of Campo Magro public school system, along with their parents and caregivers. Parents/caregivers answered the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ‐B) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Two examiners (kappa > 0.79) performed clinical examinations using dmf‐t and pufa index. The associations were statistically analysed by univariate and multiple Poisson regression with robust variance (α = 0.05).ResultsThe prevalence of dental pain and discomfort was 70.3% (66%‐75% 95% CI). Children from non‐nuclear families (PRa 1.33; 95% CI: 1.01‐1.76) and whose parents presented a lower level of education (PRa 2.43; 95% CI 1.66‐3.55) presented a higher prevalence of dental pain or discomfort. Considering the clinical determinants, after adjusting, only the presence of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (pufa ≥ 1) (PRa 1.37; 95% CI 1.02‐1.84) was significantly associated with higher dental pain or discomfort.ConclusionsDental pain and discomfort were associated with socioeconomic factors and with the presence of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries.

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Objective: The aim was evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in detecting occlusal caries among graduate students after training using the e-learning program. Methods: A sample of forty-two primary teeth with different ranges of occlusal caries was selected. All teeth were mounted on a wax support and standardized photographs (EOS Rebel XTI, Canon, NY, USA) of the occlusal surfaces were taken. An experienced researcher randomly selected one specific site on the occlusal surface of each tooth to be examined later. Fifteen graduate students with no previous experience in the ICDAS scores completed the ICDAS e-learning program in Portuguese. After the training, visual examination of the occlusal surfaces was taken twice, independently, with a two-week interval. After visual examination, the teeth were longitudinally sectioned 1mm away from the previously selected occlusal site. The teeth were fixed on a wax support and photographed. Histological analysis was performed from these photographs by an experienced researcher to evaluate the depth of demineralization. Results: The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) inter-examiner values among all participants varied from 0.54 to 0.96 and intra-examiner ICC reproducibility of the examiners ranges from 0.61 to 0.85, showing good to excellent reproducibility. For detection of enamel and dentine lesions (D1), ICDAS obtained sensitivity 0.835 and specificity 0.756. For dentine lesions (D3), the method revealed an increase in sensitivity but specificity was similar to D1. Conclusion: ICDAS e-learning training program was efficient for the training of caries lesions detection among graduate students.

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Objective: To evaluate the impact of daily toothbrushing frequency on parental reports of dental pain and discomfort in preschoolers. Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted involving 376 children between four and five years of age at public preschools in the city of Campo Magro, Brazil. Parents/guardians answered a socioeconomic questionnaire that contained a single question on the child's daily toothbrushing frequency and the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B). Statistical analysis involved bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses (α=0.05).Results: After the adjustments in the multivariate analysis, the prevalence of dental pain and discomfort was lower among children whose last visit to the dentist was for prevention (PR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.75-11.14; p=0.002) and those with a higher daily toothbrushing frequency (PR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.12-4.05; p=0.021). Conclusion: A lower toothbrushing frequency is associated with parental reports of dental pain and discomfort in preschoolers. Educational and preventive measures that stimulate an increase in daily toothbrushing frequency can contribute to a better oral health status in preschoolers, consequently, less prevalence of dental pain and discomfort.