Impact of oral and dental health on quality of life in Iranian preschool children and their families

Abstract

IntroductionOral and dental health is one of the most important factors that affect the quality of life of preschool children. This study determined the effect of oral and dental health of preschoolers on their quality of life and that of their parents.MethodsThis descriptive-cross sectional study asked 304 mothers of children aged 2–5 years from Babol, Iran, to complete an Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) questionnaire. Higher raw scores for ECOHIS indicate more oral problems and lower quality of life as related to oral health. The demographic information and dmft indices of the children were documented. The data were analyzed using the independent sample t-test, one way ANOVA, and the Scheffe post hoc test.ResultsThe mean ECOHIS score was 6.65 ± 3.57, and the mean score of “decay, missing and filling teeth” (dmft) was 4.39 ± 3.68. A high correlation (r = 0.725) was observed between the dmft score and the ECOHIS score (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe oral and dental health of the children strongly influenced their quality of life and that of their parents. There was an inverse relationship between dmft and oral health-related quality of life.

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

“…Also, similar to present study results, Nemati et al [ 22 ] found no significant difference in the effect of oral health on quality of life between boys and girls. The reason is that the children evaluated in this study were very young (preschool), and gender differences in these children may have not yet influenced their understanding of the aesthetic aspects of oral health.…”

“…Based on these findings, the children that participated in the present study had poorer dental health than the studies mentioned above. However, the recent study participants had better scores compared to the mean dmft index of Babol (4.39 ± 3.69) and Kerman (5.6 ± 3.6) preschool children [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS): Literature review and Italian validation

“…From its definition in 2007 to now, ECOHIS has been translated and validated in different countries to ensure an intercultural adaptation of the questionnaires but maintaining the same measuring method, which generally showed an acceptable degree of success [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] ( Table 1). However, it has not been widely applied yet in Italy, with the recent exception of Ferrazzano et al, who assessed changes in oral health-related quality of life and body growth in children aged 3-5 years following dental treatment under general anaesthesia due to severe dental caries.…”

Perception of parents and self‐reports of children regarding the impact of traumatic dental injury on quality of life

“…A lower level of schooling among parents/caregivers was associated with a greater impact on the OHRQoL of the preschoolers based on the parents/caregivers and children's self‐reports. Some studies have reported similar results, but they have only considered the reports of parents/caregivers using the ECOHIS . The habits of parents/caregivers and the family environment affect the health of children.…”

“…Some studies have reported similar results, but they have only considered the reports of parents/caregivers using the ECOHIS. 33,34 The habits of parents/caregivers and the family environment affect the health of children. A higher level of schooling is related to the search for greater care for one's children, which can minimize the consequences of oral problems due to greater access to dental services.…”