Background Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is associated with unfavourable dental conditions such as dental caries and may consequently impact oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL). Objective To assess the impact of MIH on OHRQoL in children with early mixed dentition. Method A population‐based cross‐sectional study of 728 8‐year‐old children from the public school system in Curitiba, Brazil, was conducted. The Child Perception Questionnaire for 8‐ to 10‐year‐olds (CPQ8‐10) was used to evaluate OHRQoL. MIH was diagnosed according to the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) criteria. The assessments of MIH, dental caries, and malocclusion were performed by four calibrated examiners (κ ≥ 0.80). Demographic and socioeconomic data (DSE) were obtained from the children's parents/caregivers using a structured questionnaire. The analysis of OHRQoL determinants was performed through a three‐level hierarchical approach: mesial (DSE), intermediate (clinical conditions), and distal (child's oral self‐perception), using Poisson regression with robust variance (α = 0.05). Results The prevalence of MIH was 12.1% (95% CI: 10‐15). An association was found between MIH and OHRQoL in the “oral symptoms” domain of the CPQ8‐10 (PR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03‐1.11, P < 0.001) after adjusting for other clinical variables and DSE. Conclusion Molar incisor hypomineralization was associated with a greater impact on OHRQoL in children's oral symptoms.

A moderate degree of dental anxiety was prevalent among the children, adolescents and parents who took part in this investigation, with correlations demonstrated between some trait anxiety and dental anxiety scores.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between oral health literacy (OHL) among caregivers and untreated dental caries among preschoolers. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 415 preschool children and their caregivers from Curitiba, Brazil. The children were examined for dental caries and dental plaque. The caregivers’ OHL was evaluated using an instrument translated and validated for Brazilian Portuguese: the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30. The prevalence of children with untreated caries was 42.9% (95%CI: 38.1-47.7%). A low degree of OHL was found among 15.7% (95%CI: 12.2-19.2) of caregivers. The multivariable Poisson regression analysis indicated a higher prevalence of untreated caries among children whose caregivers had a low OHL (PR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.01-1.79), those with visible plaque (PR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.01-1.62) and those who never or only occasionally had their teeth brushed by their caregivers (PR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.16-1.91) in comparison to those without these conditions. In conclusion, a higher prevalence of untreated dental caries was found among preschool children whose caregivers had a low degree of OHL.

The objective of this study was to describe an interviewer training and calibration method to evaluate oral health literacy using the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30) in epidemiological studies. An experienced researcher (gold standard) conducted all training sessions. The interviewer training and calibration sessions included three different phases: theoretical training, practical training, and calibration. In the calibration phase, six interviewers (dentists) independently assessed 15 videos of individuals who had different levels of oral health literacy. Accuracy and reproducibility were evaluated using the kappa coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The percentage of agreement for each word in the instrument was also calculated. After training, the kappa values were higher than 0.911 and 0.893 for intra-and inter-rater agreement, respectively. When the results were analyzed separately for the different levels of literacy, the lowest agreement rate was found when evaluating the videos of individuals with low literacy (K = 0.871), but still within the range considered to be near-perfect agreement. The ICC values were higher than 0.990 and 0.975 for intra-and inter-rater agreement, respectively. The lowest percentage of agreement was 86.6% for the word "hipoplasia" (hypoplasia). This interviewer training and calibration method proved to be feasible and effective. Therefore, it can be used as a methodological tool in studies assessing oral health literacy using the BREALD-30.

Background Identifying patients with high levels of DA helps to define the most adequate oral healthcare strategy, especially for pediatric patients. Aim To investigate the association between parental reports of dental anxiety (DA) and molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in schoolchildren. Design A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of 731 8‐year‐old schoolchildren from the city of Curitiba, Brazil, who were clinically examined (k ≥ 0.75) for the diagnosis of MIH and dental caries using the EAPD criteria and dmft/DMFT index, respectively. Parents/guardians reported children's DA using the Dental Anxiety Question (DAQ) and answered a self‐administered structured questionnaire addressing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Associations were evaluated using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance (P < 0.05). Results A significant association was found between DA and MIH (PR = 1.20; 95%CI: 1.01‐1.42; P = 0.038), but this association lost its significance when adjusted for the other characteristics (PR = 1.13; 95%CI: 0.93‐1.38; P = 0.215). Caries experience in primary teeth was associated with lower levels of DA (PR = 0.83; 95%CI: 0.71‐0.96; P = 0.0013). The most recent visit to the dentist due to pain increased the levels of DA (PR = 1.18; 95%CI: 1.07‐1.30; P = 0.001). Conclusions The presence of MIH in schoolchildren was not associated with parental reports of DA.