Impact of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions on quality of life of young children

Janaina M Aldrigui,Jenny Abanto,Marcia T Wanderley,Daniela P Raggio,Thiago S Carvalho,Fausto M Mendes,Marcelo Bönecker

doi:10.1186/1477-7525-9-78

Janaina M Aldrigui, Jenny Abanto + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-9-78

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Abstract

BackgroundThe presence of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions can have a negative impact on quality of life of young children and their parents, affecting their oral health and well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of traumatic dental injuries and anterior malocclusion traits on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of children between 2 and 5 years-old.MethodsParents of 260 children answered the six domains of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the OHRQoL (outcome). Two calibrated dentists assessed the types of traumatic dental injuries (Kappa = 0.9) and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits (Kappa = 1.0). OHRQoL was measured using the ECOHIS. Poisson regression was used to associate the type of traumatic dental injury and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits to the outcome.ResultsThe presence of anterior malocclusion traits did not show a negative impact on the overall OHRQoL mean or in each domain. Only complicated traumatic dental injuries showed a negative impact on the symptoms (p = 0.005), psychological (p = 0.029), self image/social interaction (p = 0.004) and family function (p = 0.018) domains and on the overall OHRQoL mean score (p = 0.002). The presence of complicated traumatic dental injuries showed an increased negative impact on the children's quality of life (RR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.36, 2.63; p < 0.001).ConclusionsComplicated traumatic dental injuries have a negative impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their parents, but anterior malocclusion traits do not.

Highlights

Traumatic Dental Injury (TDI) is a common oral disorder in preschool children, since, during this period, the young child is learning to crawl, stand, walk and run
As TDI and anterior malocclusions traits (AMT) may affect the children physically, emotionally and psychologically, and due to the lack of researches testing Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in young children, the purpose of this study was to assess the impact of TDI and AMT on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their parents
The interexaminer reliability was established by re-examination of 26 (10% of sample) children and they obtained values of Kappa agreement of 0.8 for Early Childhood Caries (ECC), 0.9 for TDI and 1.0 for AMT

Summary

Introduction

Traumatic Dental Injury (TDI) is a common oral disorder in preschool children, since, during this period, the young child is learning to crawl, stand, walk and run. The rudimentary stage of development of reflexes and the lack of motor coordination may lead to falls. These are the principal cause of TDI in this population [1,2,3,4]. The presence of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions can have a negative impact on quality of life of young children and their parents, affecting their oral health and well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of traumatic dental injuries and anterior malocclusion traits on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of children between 2 and 5 years-old

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