Changes in Oral Health-Related Behaviors and Oral Health of Children in Early Childhood during Social Isolation Caused by COVID-19

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess changes in oral health-related behavior and oral health status in Brazilian children in early childhood perceived by their parents/caregivers during social isolation caused by COVID-19. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with parents/caregivers of children in southeastern Brazil aged 0-5 years who responded to an online questionnaire about sociodemographic data, dietary changes, oral hygiene, and oral health status of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 119 parents/caregivers, 54.60% did not observe any changes in eating habits, and 81.50% maintained their children's oral hygiene. Associations were observed between the impact of the pandemic on the family income and changes in eating habits (p=0.02) and between lower family income and dental caries perceived by parents/caregivers (p=0.05). Z tests with Bonferroni correction showed that families with drastic income reduction were more likely to consume lower-cost foods (62.50%) than families with no impact or slight reduction on family income. Parents/caregivers did not identify dental caries (89.10%), toothache (92.40%), and dental trauma (92.40%) in their children. Conclusion: Parents/caregivers of children in southeastern Brazil aged 0-5 years observed behavioral changes in the dietary habits of families whose income was impacted by the pandemic, and their perception of dental caries was significantly associated with family income.

Relationship between Malocclusion, Bullying, and Quality of Life in Students from Low Social Development Area: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the relationship between malocclusion and bullying and its impact on the well-being and quality of life of students from low social development areas. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 243 schoolchildren between 10 and 17 years. Malocclusion was analyzed using Dental Aesthetic Index. Bullying and self-perception of the impact of one's oral condition on quality of life and interpersonal relationships were assessed by questions from National Survey of Schoolchildren's Health and Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). Data were analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney tests, considering groups: 10-11, 12-14 and 15-17 years. Results: No correlation was observed between malocclusion and bullying. However, in the 12-14 group, poor correlations were found between malocclusion and the CPQ11-14 (0.226) and between malocclusion and being shy/embarrassed due to oral aspects (0.298). Positive correlations were observed between bullying and the impact on the quality of life in the 10-11 (0.420) and 12-14 (0.425) groups. In the older group, a positive correlation (0.724) was observed between the concern about what others think of their oral health and the impact on their quality of life. Conclusion: There was no evidence of a relationship between malocclusion and bullying. However, the oral conditions negatively affected the interpersonal relationships and the student's quality of life.

Occurrence of Dental Trauma in a Group of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the occurrence of dental trauma in a group of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in comparison to children without the disorder. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Children and Adolescents Health in the Department of Health of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. The study included individuals with and without ASD, between three and 16 years old, and their parents/caregivers. Children/adolescents were assessed for dental trauma by clinical examination. All exams were performed by a trained and calibrated examiner (MCT), and intra-examiner reliability was previously established (Kappa=0.93). The Socio-demographic status was reported by parents/caregivers. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and generation of frequency distributions. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the association between groups of children/adolescents with and without ASD about the presence of dental trauma. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Sixty children of both sexes participated in the study, thirty with a diagnosis of ASD and thirty without. The age ranging from 3 to 13 years, with an average of 7.5 ± 3.2 years. Children with ASD had a higher frequency of dental trauma than children without ASD (p=0.02), and the most frequent type of trauma was enamel fracture (57.10%), followed by enamel/dentin fracture without pulp exposure (42.90%). Conclusion: Children with ASD, when compared to children who did not have ASD, had a higher occurrence of dental trauma.

Early Childhood Caries Experience of Children from Poor Families Living Below and Above Poverty Line

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the role of poverty and its related factors on early childhood caries (ECC) experience among deprived children. Material and Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study surveyed 418 children aged one to six years enrolled in Brazilian public preschools from an area of the country known for its high social deprivation. Intraoral examination of children evaluated dental caries experience (dmft). Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire with sociodemographic indicators. Family income was dichotomized into below or above poverty line. Data analysis used Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, and Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis (p<0.05). Results: Predisposing variables for an increased chance of ECC were: age group 3-4 years (OR: 4.89; 95% CI: 2.32-10.31), age group 5-6-years (OR: 5.60; 95% CI: 2.60-12.04), being part of families living below poverty line (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.04-3.38) and having mothers with less than nine years of schooling (OR: 2.86; 95% CI: 2.77-7.14). Children from families living below poverty line presented higher dmft (2.9 +3.8; p=0.001) and untreated dental caries (d component) (2.7 +3.7; p=0.002). Conclusion: ECC in a poor population was influenced by indicators of social deprivation. The poorest of poor children from mothers with less years of schooling were at higher risk.