Abstract
There is a limited amount of research on the prevalence and determinants of subjective oral health indicators in children. Objective: to assess the prevalence of self-reported dental pain and to explore its relationship with socio-demographic characteristics in 10-14 year olds attending primary schools. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted during January-March 2004, including 11 public primary schools in Kampala, Uganda. A total of 614 children completed questionnaires administered in schools. Dental caries and plaque status were recorded in permanent teeth. Results: Experience with dental pain was confirmed by 42.1% boys and 52.3% girls. The crude prevalence of dental caries was 37.9% in boys and 42.1% in girls. Plaque was present on anterior teeth and 84.3% complained of at least one oral problem. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that reporting at least two oral problems (OR = 2.7), being dissatisfied with dental appearance (OR = 2.7) and having visited a dentist twice during the previous 3 years (OR = 2.2) were associated with higher odds of reported dental pain. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of school children had experience with dental pain. Dental pain associated positively with dental caries, subjective oral health indicators and dental attendance. Knowledge about the extent and significance of dental pain is important for the planning and evaluation of preventive and treatment efforts.
Highlights
Emerging consensus in the literature has identified three major dimensions of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL); clinically assessed disease and impairments, disease and treatment specific symptoms and functional and psychological disability (1,2)
Focusing on 10-14-year-old primary school children in Kampala, Uganda, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental pain and its association with dental caries experience, socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene, dental attendance and self-reported oral health
The results of the present study indicate that the prevalence of dental pain was high (47.6%) among 10-14yr-old children attending primary school and varied systematically with attitudinal, behavioural and clinical characteristics of the study population
Summary
Emerging consensus in the literature has identified three major dimensions of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL); clinically assessed disease and impairments, disease and treatment specific symptoms and functional and psychological disability (1,2). In low-income countries like Uganda, the exposure to dental services is low, and toothache has been cited as a common reason for children to seek dental care (12,13). Previous studies involving 13-19-yr-old Ugandan school children have provided evidence of high rates (44%) of delayed treatment demand (dental visiting because of toothache), indicating a need for emergency care for later stages of dental caries (12). As a result of a growing consumption of foods and drinks with added sugars and inadequate oral health care services, it is expected that caries experience of children will increase in Uganda and other sub-Saharan African countries (14). Previous national estimates for Uganda have placed the mean DMFT (decayed, missed and filled teeth) for 12-year-olds at 0.5 in 1987, 0.4 in 1988 and 0.4 in 1993 (15). National averages mask differences within the country with mean DMFT estimates varying from 0.6 to 2.9 across urban and rural communities (16)
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