Oral-Health Related Quality of Life of Preschoolers With Severe Caries

Objectives: To determine the oral-health related quality of life (OHRQL) of preschool-aged children before dental rehabilitation surgery under general anesthesia (GA) to treat severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) in Manitoba, Canada. S-ECC can affect children’s health and well-being. Little Canadian data exist on its impact on OHRQL.
Methods: Children participating in this study were recruited into a larger prospective investigation examining changes in nutritional status and well-being following dental surgery to treat S-ECC. All participating parents/caregivers provided written informed consent and completed a questionnaire via interview. The questionnaire included the validated Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS), a 13-item tool to measure the OHRQL of preschoolers and their families. This study was approved by the University of Manitoba’s Health Research Ethics Board. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (frequencies, means ± Standard Deviations (SD)) and bivariate analyses (Chi Square, t tests, correlation). A p value ≤ 0.05 was significant.
Results: To date, 127 children and their parent/caregiver completed the baseline phase. The mean age was 47.6±14.3 months and 51% were female. Overall, 13.4% of the children often/very often experienced mouth pain while 9.5% often/very often reported having difficulty eating some foods. Overall, 11.1% often/very often showed signs of irritation/frustration because of dental problems, while 8.7% of parents and caregivers reported often/very often having feelings of guilt related to a child’s dental problems. The mean ECOHIS was 6.6±4.9 (range 0-27). There was no apparent difference in scores by sex (female 5.8±3.7 vs. male 7.4±5.8, p=0.067), household income (p=0.21), and whether the family received government assistance (p=0.15).
Conclusions: Baseline data reveals that some children with S-ECC and their families express ongoing decreased OHRQL. ECOHIS could be used as an adjunctive tool along with clinical and radiographic examinations to help determine urgency of dental treatment and placement of patients on dental GA wait-lists.