Are maternal mental disorders associated with children's oral health? A systematic review

Abstract

Maternal mental problems may lead to a negative effect on children's oral health (COH). The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to answer the question: Are maternal mental disorders (MMD) associated with COH from zero to 12 years old? Electronic searches were performed in five databases with no language restriction. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies were included. A total of 1183 references were identified, and seven studies were included. In relation to MMD studies investigated: Common Mental Disorders (n = 2), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (n = 2), symptoms of depression (SD) (n = 3), Alcohol-related diagnosis (n = 1), and symptoms of anxiety (n = 2). As outcome, the studies investigated dental caries (n = 5), gingivitis and periodontal diseases (n = 1), sleep bruxism (SB) (n = 1), and malocclusion (n = 1). Positive association was found between MDD and OH (SB and dental caries). There was no MMD associated with malocclusion. Alcohol-related diagnosis showed a positive association with gingivitis and periodontal diseases and no association with dental caries; anxiety had a positive association with dental caries and no association with SB. The heterogeneity of the data precluded precise conclusions to be drawn, but MMD may have influence on COH.

Early childhood caries, family functioning, and common mental disorders in a region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

“…Although little difference was found in the frequency of the SRQ-20 of the caretakers of preschool children with and without the need for dental treatment in relation to caries, it is important to consider that the result found in this study may well have been impacted by the fact that it was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The maternal CMDs have been associated with dental caries in their children, and the more significant the symptoms of maternal CMD, the more severe the dental caries condition in children 35 .…”

Maternal Common Mental Disorders symptoms influence associated with early childhood dental caries: A cross‐sectional study in a southern Brazilian city

“…A systematic review investigated whether maternal disorders may be associated with children's oral health conditions 15 . The authors included seven studies, of which two studies 9,25 verified the relationship between maternal CMD and children's oral health.…”

“…Thus, a strength of this study was the use of this Brazilian validated tool with high sensitivity and specificity for CMD screening. Also, according to a systematic review that assessed whether maternal disorders were associated with children's oral health, there was only one study that previously investigated children's dental caries and maternal CMD 30 …”

“…In contrast, there are also studies that have not shown the association between maternal mental disorder and dental caries in children or even found an inverse relationship 13,14 . A systematic review tried to summarize this relationship; however, the heterogeneity of the studies precluded definitive conclusions 15 …”

Associations between maternal mental health, child dental anxiety, and oral health of 6- to 12-year-olds in Nigeria

“…1 Maternal depressive and anxiety disorders are associated with the dental caries experience and periodontal status of children aged 0-12 years. 2 Studies confirm an association between maternal mental health, higher caries experience, 3,4 poor oral hygiene practices, 5 and poor periodontal health 6 Declaration of Interests: The authors certify that they have no commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the manuscript. in children.…”