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The present study aimed to evaluate the association between premature primary tooth loss and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in preschool children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 769 5-year-old preschool children. The children and their parents or guardians answered the Brazilian version of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for 5-Year-Old Children for the assessment of OHRQoL. Meanwhile, clinical examinations were performed for the assessment of premature primary tooth loss. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel Poisson regression models were utilized to investigate the associations between the variables. In the parental version of the scale, premature posterior primary tooth loss (rate ratio [RR] = 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–4.68), weak sense of coherence (RR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.62–3.11), and visit to a dentist (RR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.04–2.52) were associated with OHRQoL. Based on the children’s perceptions, only the preschool type was associated with OHRQoL (RR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.21–3.05). Premature posterior primary tooth loss had a greater impact on OHRQoL based on the parents’ perception, whereas only the preschool type was associated with OHRQoL based on the children’s perception.

Background The prevalence of dental caries is high in adolescents worldwide, and a large percentage have never been to a dentist or have not had regular dental appointments. Aim To evaluate the influence of oral health literacy and sociodemographic, clinical, and family factors on dental visits among early adolescents. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted with 740 12-year-old students in Campina Grande, Brazil. Students answered about their level of oral health literacy (BREALD-30), levels of family adaptability and cohesion (FACES III), and visits to the dentist sometime in life. Dental caries experience was evaluated using Nyvad criteria. Robust Poisson regression for complex samples was performed. Results A higher level of oral health literacy (PR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03), high social class (PR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.09-1.50), higher mother's schooling (PR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.37-1.83), family cohesion classified as enmeshed (PR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.19-2.02) and connected (PR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.02-1.44), and the absence of toothache (PR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01-1.38) remained associated with having visited a dentist. Conclusions Oral health literacy and sociodemographic, family, and clinical factors were predictors of having visited a dentist among early adolescents.

The aim of the present study was to investigate dental caries and caries activity as well as determine associations with sociodemographic factors and visits to the dentist among 5-year-old children. Seven hundred sixty-nine children enrolled in preschools in a medium-sized city in northeast Brazil participated in the study. Two examiners who had undergone training exercises performed the examinations using the ICDAS-II. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression for complex samples were performed (α = 5%). An inductive decision tree was created for the occurrence of cavitated lesions (J48 algorithm). The prevalence of caries was 91.5% (59.5% cavitated lesions and 32.0% white spots). Among the children diagnosed with caries, 87.1% had active caries. In the multivariate analysis, low income (OR = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.05–8.05) and having visited a dentist for treatment (OR = 7.94; 95% CI: 2.58–24.39) were associated with dental caries (white spot and/or cavitated lesion). For caries activity, low income (OR = 4.63; 95% CI: 1.60–13.35) and having visited a dentist for treatment (OR = 4.80; 95% CI: 2.06–11.18) remained in the final model. In the decision tree, the following variables were predictors of cavitated lesions: lower parent schooling level (p

To evaluate the prevalence of sleep bruxism and associated factors among children aged 3–12 years as reported by parents via a questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 148 parents/caregivers of children aged 3–12 years treated at paediatric dentistry clinics. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire in the waiting room. Information on the gender and age of the child, age of parent/caregiver, meaning of bruxism and child’s sleep (type of sleep, if he/she slept alone, hours of sleep per night and if nocturnal bruxism could affect his/her health) were collected. Descriptive statistics were performed and Poisson regression with robust variance was employed (p

There are no longitudinal studies that assess the impact of traumatic dental injury (TDI) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children. To investigate the impact of TDI on OHRQoL among preschool children, a population-based case–control study was carried out with a representative sample of 335 children, 3–5 years of age, enrolled at public and private preschools in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. The case group and the control group were matched for age, gender, type of preschool and monthly household income at a ratio of 1:4 (67 cases and 286 controls). Impact on the OHRQoL of children was assessed through administration of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). The occurrence of TDI was determined through clinical examinations performed by three calibrated dentists. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, McNemar’s test, the chi-square test with linear trend and conditional logistic regression analysis [P ≤ 0.05; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)]. The most frequent responses were ‘felt pain’ (19.4%) and ‘difficulty eating’ (16.4%). The prevalence of TDI was 37.3% in the case group and 33.9% in the control group. No statistically significant differences were found between case and control groups regarding the presence of TDI (odds ratio = 1.16; 95% CI: 0.66–2.02). TDI had no impact on the quality of life of preschool children.