Influence of traumatic dental injury on quality of life of Brazilian preschool children and their families

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of traumatic dental injury (TDI) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of Brazilian preschool children and their families.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1632 children of both sexes aged 60-71 months in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data on OHRQoL were collected using the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS), which was self-administered by parents/caregivers to record their perceptions regarding the oral health of their children. A questionnaire addressing demographic and socio-economic data was also sent to parents/caregivers. Oral examinations of the children were performed by a single, previously calibrated dentist (intraexaminer and interexaminer agreement: kappa ≥ 0.83) for the assessment of the prevalence and type of TDI using the diagnostic criteria proposed by Andreasen et al. [2007]. Bivariate and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed, with the level of significance set at 5%.

Results: The prevalence of negative impact from oral conditions on quality of life was 36.8% and 31.4% for children and families, respectively. TDI was not significantly associated with OHRQoL. Tooth avulsion remained in final multiple models of child OHRQoL [PR = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.02-1.85] and family OHRQoL [PR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.12-2.14]. Tooth discolouration remained in the final multiple models of family OHRQoL [PR = 1.23, 95%CI = 1.05-1.44].

Conclusions: The presence of TDI in Brazilian preschool children has no impact on quality of life of the children or their families. However, tooth avulsion is associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL in both groups, and tooth discolouration is associated with a negative impact on family OHRQoL.

Keywords: oral health; primary tooth; quality of life; tooth injury.