Impact of Early Childhood Caries on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Preschool Children and Their Parents

Abstract

The aim of the present population study was to evaluate the impact of early childhood caries (ECC) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children and their parents/caregivers. A random sample of 638 children (aged 2–5 years) underwent a clinical oral examination to assess ECC, and their parents were invited to answer two questionnaires: one on the OHRQoL of the child, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale, and another on the characteristics and sociodemographic conditions of the child. Descriptive analysis, χ² test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models were used. The prevalence of ECC was 52.2%. The number of teeth with decay ranged from 1 (n = 42; 6.6%) to 20 (n = 5; 0.8%), averaging 2.86 (SD = 4.04). There was a significant difference between the severity of ECC and OHRQoL in terms of the impact on both child and family (p < 0.001). An increase in the severity of ECC resulted in an increased negative impact on the quality of life of the child (rate ratio, RR = 5.32; 95% confidence interval, CI: 3.67–7.71). Greater age of the mother had a positive impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children (RR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.54–0.97). Increased age resulted in an increased negative impact on the quality of life of the child (RR = 2.97; 95% CI: 1.61–5.47). ECC has a negative impact on the OHRQoL of children aged 2–5 years and their parents. Mothers aged 30 or older reported better OHRQoL, independent of the presence of ECC and the age of the child.

Impacto da cárie dentária, maloclusão e hábitos orais na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde oral em crianças pré-escolares

“…Items related to symptoms of parents' anxiety were frequently reported on the family impact session (1,2,3,10) , topic which was also observed in this study. It must be considered, in this finding, the fact that the guardians were looking for assistance, demonstrating concern, especially about dental …”

“…The dmft classification was based on a study (13) and it is frequently used in dental researches about OHRQOL (4,10) , dividing the children into: dmft 0 = free of caries, dmft 1-5 = low severity, dmft > 6 = high severity.…”

“…In Brazil, there are two validated instruments to assess OHRQOL in children (5,6) , the Brazilian Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS) (7) and the Scale Oral Health Outcomes for five-year-old children (SOHO-5) (6) . The B-ECOHIS is designated for children from 2 to 5 years old (5,8) and its use helps to increase knowledge about adverse oral conditions which affect children's quality of life (3,4,9,10) . Studies have shown that dental caries present negative impact on quality of life of children and their families, including nutrition aspects, behavioral oral symptoms and educational alterations (1,2,3,4) .…”

Mamų Socialinės-Ekonominės Padėties Įtaka Jų Žinioms Apie Vaiko Burnos Priežiūrą

“…Martins-Junior 2013 m.ir J.S. Paula 2012 m. atliktuose tyrimuose, kur nurodoma, kad vaiko su burnos sveikata susijusi gyvenimo kokybė yra geresnė tuomet, kai šeimoje yra mažiau nei du vaikai ir šeimos nariams tenka daugiau nei vienas kambarys kiekvienam [7,8].…”

The role of the dental team in promoting health equity

“…Oral diseases can have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of pregnant women, nursing mothers and preschool children. 10 11 It is therefore of paramount importance for dental professionals to provide appropriate prevention and high quality treatment to these groups. Dental teams may need more training and support to develop their clinical and management skills needed for the effective care of preschool children.…”