Factors Influencing Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Preschool Children in District of Kota Bharu, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Objective: To assess caries experience and its association with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Material and Methods: A sample of 169 preschool children of 5-6-year-old at a private preschool in the district of Kota Bharu, Kelantan was participated and were subjected to an oral examination to determine their caries experience by a single calibrated dentist. The parents were responding to self-administered Malay-ECOHIS and their socio-demographic background. Descriptive, Chi-square test and Spearman correlation were done to analyse the data required in this study. Results: Subjects comprised of girls (55.6%) with most parents (39%) had a secondary level of education, and 47.9% of them had a monthly income of RM1000-RM2999. Caries prevalence was 74.6% with a mean (SD) dmft was 5.27(5.22). The impacts on OHRQoL were more prevalent in the family section of Malay-ECOHIS (12.5%; 95%CI: 7.5%-17.5%) than the child section (4.2%; 95%CI: 1.16%-7.24%). Items related to 'felt guilty' (22.5%; 95%CI: 16%-29%) and 'been upset' (20.2%; 95%CI: 14.1%-26.3%) were the frequently reported on the family impact section. In child impact section, the item related to 'pain' (36.7%; 95%CI: 30%-43%) and 'difficulty eating' (20.8%; 95%CI: 14.7%-26.9%) were reported more frequently. Children with caries experience were significantly associated with the impact on family OHRQoL (p<0.05). Conclusion: The presence of dental caries was a significant predictor of poor OHRQoL.

The Reliability and Validity of the Measurements in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Laser Scanned 3D Dental Casts

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Next Engine 3D Laser scanner. Material and Methods: A total of 30 dental casts of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) children with 90 linear variables were measured using digital caliper while the laser-scanned 3D dental casts (LS3DM) were measured using Mimics Software. All scanned data coordinates (in x, y, z) were transferred into Mimics software in STL format to be measured. All the variables were measured using a computer mouse accurate to 0.5 mm. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the intra- and inter-examiner reliabilities and also for the validity of two methods Results: Intra-examiner reliabilities of digital caliper and LS3DM were found excellent (ICC 0.916-0.995) and inter-examiner reliabilities of LS3DM were good to excellent (ICC 0.816-0.990). The validity of LS3DM measurements was confirmed based on the ICC values were in the range of 0.913-0.996. The overall time frame for conducting measurements was shorter using a laser-scanned model (10 min.) than using a digital caliper (5 hours) Conclusion: The LS3DM is a valid reliable tool for future high impact research in our institution.