Dental pain associated with untreated dental caries and sociodemographic factors in 5-year-old children

Abstract

Background The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dental pain and to examine its association with untreated dental caries in 5-year-old children. Material and Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 261 5-year-old children in Northeast Brazil. Parents answered questions about their socioeconomic conditions and their children’s toothache. Trained dentists assessed dental caries using the decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmf-t) index. Binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and the confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association of dental pain with covariates. The significance level was set at five percent. Results The prevalence of dental pain was 28.7%, and 48.2% of children had untreated dental caries. Dental pain was associated with untreated dental caries (OR=5.7; 95% CI: 3.1-10.53; p <0.001) and living with one parent or other family members (OR=2.3; 95% CI: 1.2-4.4; p =0.008). Sociodemographic factors were not associated with dental pain. Conclusions The prevalence of dental pain in preschool children is high, and this condition is associated with both untreated dental caries and living with one parent or other family members. Key words: Toothache, socioeconomic factors, dental caries.

Self-reported dental pain in Mexican schoolchildren: a national ecological study

“…This suggests that both dental pain and caries may constitute common problems among Mexican schoolchildren, as untreated caries are associated with dental pain [2,20,35,38]. The present study found a correlation of dental pain with dental caries, a finding similar to the results described in the literature [37][38][39]. The presence of severe caries is often associated with dentin exposure and, in the most severe cases, with pulpal inflammation.…”

Parental Reports of Children’s Dental Pain Experience and Associated Factors among Brazilian Children

“…Moreover, parental reports of children's dental pain experience might not always accurately reflect the child's perception. However, they play an important role in planning dental treatment, as the experience of their child's dental pain is often associated with the status of caries [1,7,8]. Therefore, parental reports of children's dental pain experience are a valid tool that assists in dental diagnosis, guides treatment decisions, and determines the choice of management techniques.…”

“…Within Brazilian preschool-age children, its prevalence seems to range from 9.4 to 21.1 percent, and it is often associated with dental caries [1,7]. In this context, the experience of dental pain has been considered the most common symptom or consequence of the presence of untreated dental caries [8].…”

Toothache and its Determinants in 12-Year-Old Iranian Children: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Bakar et al found that the prevalence of toothache among Indonesian children was 15.55% (18). According to Paredes et al, the prevalence of dental pain in 5-year-old children in Northeast Brazil was 28.7% (19).…”

“…Studies on the prevalence of toothache have identified some factors associated with toothache prevalence in 12-year-old children. These factors include dental caries, socioeconomic status, and parental awareness of children's health conditions (16)(17)(18)(19)23). Moreover, people who lived in deprived areas and had limited access to dental services appeared to have more untreated caries and experience more pain (15,(24)(25)(26), and regular dental visits were associated with a reduced prevalence of toothache (27).…”