Dental Pain in Maryland School Children

Abstract

Almost a third of Maryland kindergartens and third graders who have caries have experienced dental pain.

Factors Associated with Toothache Among African American Adolescents Living in Rural South Carolina

“…Vargas et al (2005) found 28.2% of children who had caries experienced toothache, and the prevalence of toothache among them was about 10 times that of children without caries. Although the principal cause of toothache is caries and its sequelae, other factors such as dental erosion, trauma to teeth, having dental braces, eruption of permanent teeth, exfoliating primary teeth, or loose teeth can give rise to toothache (Linnett & Seow, 2001; Shepherd et al, 1999).…”

“…In the United States, about 12-20% of children (5-13 years old) and 24% of adolescents (14-17 years old) experienced toothache in the past 12 months (Bailit, 1987; Vargas, Macek, Goodman, & Wagner, 2005). Not only is the prevalence of toothache in children and adolescents high, but the impact of toothache is substantial.…”

“…In addition, untreated caries and urgent dental care were more common among African American children living in rural South Carolina (Ali & Lala, 2003), whose families constitute a high percentage of low income families. Studies (Honkala, Honkala, Rimpela, & Rimpela, 2001; Slade, 2001; Vargas et al, 2005) conducted in developed countries indicate children and adolescents from families of low socio-economic status are more likely to experience toothache. Slade (2001) suggested inadequate dental care and poor access to care are the major contributing factors to the high prevalence of toothache in this population; however, Vargas et al (2005) found toothache among children was not related to dental utilization variables.…”

“…Studies (Honkala, Honkala, Rimpela, & Rimpela, 2001; Slade, 2001; Vargas et al, 2005) conducted in developed countries indicate children and adolescents from families of low socio-economic status are more likely to experience toothache. Slade (2001) suggested inadequate dental care and poor access to care are the major contributing factors to the high prevalence of toothache in this population; however, Vargas et al (2005) found toothache among children was not related to dental utilization variables. Other studies (Normura, Bastos, Peres, 2004; Pau, et al, 2007; Ratnayake & Ekanayake, 2005) found toothache was also associated with family structure (i.e., children living with single parent), low education level of parent/mother, and less frequent toothbrushing habit.…”

Clonal Analysis of the Microbiota of Severe Early Childhood Caries

“…Early childhood caries (ECC), dental caries in the primary dentition, affects 28% of the US population, particularly disadvantaged ethnic and socioeconomic groups [Beltran-Aguilar et al, 2005]. Severe ECC can affect multiple teeth in children under 6 years of age [Drury et al, 1999], and these children frequently have painful abscesses and reduced ability to sleep or eat, which can lead to poor quality of life [Slade, 2001;Vargas et al, 2005;Clarke et al, 2006]. The exten-…”