Dental caries are more likely to impact on children's quality of life than malocclusion or traumatic dental injuries.

AIM: To measure the impact of dental caries, malocclusion, and traumatic dental injuries (TDI) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of Brazilian children. STUDY DESIGN: population-based cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS A representative sample of 1,204 8-to-10-year-old children randomly selected from 19 public and private schools in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) was evaluated. The Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT), the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), and Andreasen's classification were used by two calibrated examiners to diagnose dental caries, malocclusion, and TDI, respectively. Children were clinically examined at school. The Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for ages 8 to 10 years (CPQ8-10) was used to assess the impact on OHRQoL. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences (p<0.001) between groups (dental caries, malocclusion, and TDI) in all subscales and the CPQ8-10 total score. The presence of dental caries alone and its association with TDI and malocclusion were associated with all CPQ8-10 subscales (p<0.05). STATISTICS: the Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator was utilised for the multivariate analysis. Adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained for the association between oral conditions and the total score on the CPQ8-10 and its subscales. CONCLUSION: Dental caries seems to be the oral condition most commonly associated with a higher impact on the OHRQoL of Brazilian 8-to-10-year-olds.

Factors associated with dental caries in Brazilian children: a multilevel approach.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were to assess caries experience among Brazilian children aged eight to 10 years and determine social factors of this disease, through a multilevel approach. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study in which a representative sample of 1204 eight-to-ten-year-old children were randomly selected from 19 public and private schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. After formal authorization from the parents, the children were clinically examined at school by two calibrated examiners (Kappa=0.78). Individual socioeconomic status was determined using household income, number of residents in the home and parents'/caregivers' schooling. The social vulnerability index and type of school were used as contextual variables. The outcome variables were severity score of dental caries in permanent teeth (DMFT index), dental caries experience in permanent teeth (DMFT = 0 or ≠ 0), severity score of dental caries in primary teeth (dmft index) and dental caries experience in primary teeth (dmft = 0 or ≠ 0). RESULTS: The minority of children (37.2%) had dental caries experience. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney tests showed that age, parents'/caregivers' schooling, household income and type of school were associated with dental caries experience in permanent and primary teeth (P < 0.05). Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlation coefficient showed that age, parents'/caregivers' schooling, household income, and type of school were associated with severity score of dental caries in permanent and primary teeth (P < 0.05). In multilevel approach, the individual variables, age and household income demonstrated association with dental caries experience and with severity score of dental caries in primary teeth (P < 0.05). Type of school was also associated with dental caries experience and with severity score of dental caries in these teeth (P < 0.05). In the Poisson multilevel approach, the analysis of the final estimation of variance components of the null model revealed a significant difference among the 19 schools with regard to severity score of dental caries in permanent teeth too (P < 0.001). Younger children and attending private schools showed lower severity score of dental caries in permanent teeth. CONCLUSION: Dental caries experience and severity score of dental caries in primary teeth was influenced by age, household income, and the type of school The dental caries experience in permanent teeth was influenced by age, parents'/caregivers' schooling, household income, and type of school, whereas the severity score of dental caries in permanent teeth was influenced by age and type of school.