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. 2021 Feb 15;21(1):68.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-021-01396-4.

Impact of dental caries on oral health related quality of life among preschool children: perceptions of parents

Mina Pakkhesal  1 , Elham Riyahi  2 , AliAkbar Naghavi Alhosseini  3 , Parisa Amdjadi  4 , Nasser Behnampour  5
Affiliations

Impact of dental caries on oral health related quality of life among preschool children: perceptions of parents

Mina Pakkhesal et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Abstract

Background: Childhood dental caries can affect the children's and their parents' oral health-related quality of life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of oral and dental health conditions on the oral health-related quality of life in preschool children and their parents.

Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, samples were selected from children 3 to 6 years old enrolled in licensed kindergartens using "proportional allocation" sampling. Then, the parents of the children were asked to complete the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS).

Results: In this study, 350 children aged 3 to 6 years were evaluated with a mean age of 4.73 years. The mean dmft index (decayed, missed, and filled teeth) was 3.94 ± 4.17. The mean score of oral health-related quality of life was 11.88 ± 6.9, which 9.36 ± 5.02 belongs to the impact on children and 2.52 ± 3.20 to parents' impact.

Conclusions: The mean score of ECOHIS increased with the dmft index increase in children, indicating a significant relationship between the dmft and ECOHIS score. These outcomes can be used as proper resources to develop preventive policies and promote oral health in young children.

Keywords: Child; Oral health; Parents; Quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatter plot of relation between dmft score and ECOHS in child impact
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Scatter plot of relation between dmft score and ECOHS in parents impact
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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