Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to assess caries prevalence and experience among 11 to 14 years, school children, analyze demographic, socioeconomic, personal and professional dental care in relation to untreated carious lesions, and evaluates the effect of decayed teeth on early adolescents’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).MethodsA cross-sectional analytical investigation was conducted on 1020 preparatory schoolchildren selected on the basis of a multistage sampling technique. Caries status of the participants detected via recording their caries experience and untreated cavities using DMFT and DT indices. OHRQoL was determined using a validated Arabic CPQ11–14 short-form questionnaire. Statistical methods for descriptive analysis, chi-square test, Independent-Samples t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis through a hierarchical approach was used to detect the influence of independent variables on DT scores. To declare the association between independent variables and QoL, a step-by-step, multivariate regression analysis was conducted.ResultsThe average scores of DMFT and DT in this study were 2.97 ± 1.29 and 1.66 ± 1.24. Poisson regression analysis demonstrated that early adolescents whom their mothers with a lower level of education and of low socioeconomic status were 1.41 and 1.27 times respectively had higher DT scores when compared with their peers. Untreated cavities affected mainly by mother education, school type, family income, and regular dental appointments. Children with DMFT≤3) or DT = 0 recorded a statistically significant lower CPQ11–14 average score (p<0.01) and (p<0.0001) respectively.ConclusionsUntreated carious cavities and caries experience were associated with lower socioeconomic, maternal education andl ess frequent tooth brushing. Untreated carious cavities have a significant negative impact on schoolchildren’s QoL.
Highlights
This study aimed to assess caries prevalence and experience among 11 to 14 years, school children, analyze demographic, socioeconomic, personal and professional dental care in relation to untreated carious lesions, and evaluates the effect of decayed teeth on early adolescents’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)
The needed number of children participating in the study was 927, which calculated on the basis of the following formula [11]; N = (Zα/2)2 s2/d2, where (N) is the number of participants and (d) is the degree of precision adjusted at 0.05 (5%), and the Zα/2 was 1.65 A pilot study conducted before launching the procedures on 56 children aged from 12 to 14 years and the standard deviation (s) of DMFT was 0.92
Poisson regression analysis demonstrates that early adolescents whom their mothers with a lower level of education and of low socioeconomic status were 1.41 and 1.27 times respectively had higher Decayed tooth (DT) scores when compared with their peers
Summary
This study aimed to assess caries prevalence and experience among 11 to 14 years, school children, analyze demographic, socioeconomic, personal and professional dental care in relation to untreated carious lesions, and evaluates the effect of decayed teeth on early adolescents’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Untreated carious cavities especially when associated with pain may influence children’s’ physical and psychological development as well as school and daily-life achievements [6]. Plenty of studies revealed the association between oral health and adolescent’s quality of life (QoL) physical, psychological, social and emotional aspects [7, 8]. One of the tools designed by Jokovic et al to measure the oral-health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children is a child perception questionnaire for 11–14 years age group (CPQ11–14) short form [9]. Up to the available data, the relation between decayed teeth and OHRQoL among teenagers Egyptian students is still not clarified
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