Influence of oral health in the quality of life of preschoolers in a faculty-based practice in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

To evaluate the influence of oral health status on the quality of life of preschool children using the dmft and pufa indexes, crossing information with the B-ECOHIS questionnaire to achieve quality of life related to oral health (OHRQoL). All children, healthy, between 3 and 5 years old, with a primary dentition who sought dental care at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, during a period of 2 months, were selected and divided into two groups: advanced caries: dmft score ≥ 1 and pufa score ≥ 1 (G1) and moderate caries: dmft score ≥ 1 and pufa score = 0 (G2). An epidemiological survey of oral health using the dmft and pufa indexes, in addition to economic evaluation questionnaires and the B-ECOHIS questionnaire, was carried out and a quality of life survey was performed. Statistical tests were performed to compare nominal variables (Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test) and independent samples and their numerical variables (Mann–Whitney). Sixty-nine preschoolers were included, with a mean age of 54 months. The mean dmft scores were 6.72 (G1) and 1.05 (G2) (p < 0.001) and the mean pufa scores were 2.45 (G1) and 0 (G2). The B-ECOHIS questionnaire results in the child impact section (CIS) were 8.79 (G1) and 1.73 (G2). In the family impact section (FIS), the means for G1 and G2 were 5.76 and 1.10, respectively. The CIS and FIS presented a significant correlation (p < 0.001). The oral health condition affects preschoolers and their OHRQoL. The poorest oral health condition had a greater negative impact on the quality of life in both the families and the children.