Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective: To assess the influence of early childhood malocclusion on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Methods: 7-year cohort study involving 639 preschoolers (1 to 5 years) who had been evaluated initially with a survey conduced in 2010. Children completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ8-10) to assess OHRQoL during the follow-up period. Exploratory variables were collected at baseline, including the presence and severity of malocclusion (overjet and lip coverage). Socioeconomic characteristics, oral health behavior, and patterns of dental attendance were also investigated. A multilevel Poisson regression model was used to fit the association between malocclusion and OHRQoL. With this approach, incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: A total of 449 children were re-evaluated (follow-up rate, 70.3%). The prevalence of accentuated overjet and inadequate lip coverage was 13.5% and 11.9%, respectively. The mean (±SD) CPQ8-10 score was 10.57±10.32. The presence of inadequate lip coverage was associated with higher overall mean CPQ8-10 scores (IRR 1.51; 95% CI 1.29-1.77), and social well-being, emotional well-being, and functional limitation domains. Children with accentuated overjet (>3mm) also demonstrated higher overall scores on the CPQ8-10 than their normal counterparts. The presence of this condition also influenced the oral symptom (IRR 1.29; 95% CI 1.08-1.53) and emotional well-being (IRR 1.30; 95% CI 1.02-1.66) domains. Conclusion: Results of the present study suggest that early childhood malocclusion is a risk factor for low OHRQoL in future.
Highlights
The current definition of oral health reflects physiological, social, and psychological aspects important to the quality of life.[1]
The presence of inadequate lip coverage was associated with higher overall mean CPQ8-10 scores (IRR 1.51; 95% confidence intervals (95% confidence interval (CI)) 1.29-1.77), and social well-being, emotional well-being, and functional limitation domains
Results of the present study suggest that early childhood malocclusion is a risk factor for low oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in future
Summary
The current definition of oral health reflects physiological, social, and psychological aspects important to the quality of life.[1]. It is not restricted to only the physical and psychological effects of treatments, and involves several interconnected spheres of physical, familial, and environmental questions.[2,3] Notwithstanding, OHRQoL has been defined as a complement to clinical measurements to document the impact of oral disorders on an individual’s activities of daily life.[4]. Malocclusion is defined as a change in growth and development that affects tooth occlusion. Data from the most recent Brazilian national oral health survey revealed that approximately 37.6% of 12-year-old children exhibited some type of malocclusion.[5] Non-aesthetic occlusal characteristics, especially in children, have been associated with unfavorable social interactions, impairing social and psychological well-being.[6]
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