Association between domestic violence and oral health problems in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract

Domestic violence has a negative impact on development, general health, and quality of life of children and adolescents. This study aimed to revise knowledge regarding the consequences on oral health and its related outcomes of children and adolescents exposed to domestic violence. We conducted this systematic review in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, adhering to a published protocol in PROSPERO. This review systematically searched the literature using the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, LILACS, SciELO databases and Grey Literature, for articles published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, with no publication date limits. Quality of studies was assessed using New Castle Ottawa scale and its modified version. All process was carried out independently by two researchers. Fourteen studies were included. Nine studies were cross-sectional, four were case-control, and one was a retrospective cohort. All studies included in this review found a higher risk of having some oral health problem and being exposed to some type of domestic violence. The main oral health problems associated with some type of violence were caries experience (decayed, missing and filled teeth), poor self-perceived oral health, malocclusion, poorer oral health related quality of life, poorer oral hygiene, and early childhood caries experience. Important methodological advancements are needed to better understand potential moderators.