Perception of parents and self-reports of children regarding the impact of traumatic dental injury on quality of life.

Abstract

Traumatic dental injuries occur frequently among young children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of traumatic dental injuries on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in preschool children using the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for 5-year-old children (SOHO-5). This study involved 769 five-year-old children enrolled at public and private preschools. Two examiners underwent a training process which involved the determination of interexaminer and intra-examiner agreement (Kappa statistic) for all clinical conditions (K>0.82). Descriptive statistics were performed, followed by Poisson regression analysis (α=5%). The prevalence of the impact of oral problems on OHRQoL was 32.9% and 42.2% according to the parents/caregivers and children, respectively. Based on the children's self-reports, the occurrence of two or more injured teeth (PR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.04-1.64), toothache (PR=1.68; 95% CI: 1.35-2.09), and a low level of parent's schooling (PR=1.54; 95% CI: 1.24-1.91) exerted impacts on OHRQoL. For the reports of parents/caregivers, the occurrence of non-complicated TDI (PR=0.66; 95% CI: 0.44-0.98), toothache (PR=8.03; 95% CI: 5.92-10.88), and a low level of parent's schooling (PR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.17-2.17) remained associated with the final model. The impact of oral problems on the OHRQoL of the preschool children was high. A greater number of injured teeth, the presence of toothache, and socioeconomic factors were associated with poorer OHRQoL, based on the reports of both the parents/caregivers and the children. The occurrence of non-complicated TDI was a protective factor for OHRQoL.