Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life among schoolchildren

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among schoolchildren and the responsiveness of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10 ) instrument. Brazilian schoolchildren, 8-10 yr of age, were randomly selected and assigned to two groups--dental caries treatment (DCT) and caries-free (CF)--according to their caries experience [decayed, missing, or filled primary teeth (dmft) and decayed, missing or filled secondary teeth (DMFT) values of ≥ 0]. The CPQ8-10 instrument was administered at baseline and at 4 wk of follow-up (i.e. 4 wk after completion of dental treatment). In the DCT group, increases in CPQ8-10 scores were observed between the baseline and follow-up results. However, longitudinal evaluation of the CF group demonstrated no statistically significant difference in CPQ8-10 scores. Responsiveness of the CPQ8-10 instrument (magnitude of change in CPQ8-10 scores) in the DCT group was greater (effect size >0.7) than in the CF group. The findings of this study show that dental caries treatment has an important impact on OHRQoL of children. The CPQ8-10 was considered an acceptable instrument for longitudinal measurement of changes in OHRQoL.

Impact of a dental care program on the quality of life of children with and without caries

“…The project targeted preventive and curative actions related to the dental health of children from low-income families and from areas of greater social exclusion. 16,19 At the beginning of the study, all schoolchildren were clinically examined for the presence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT and dmft indexes) related to dental caries in permanent and primary teeth. Four calibrated examiners performed the examinations under natural light, outside the classrooms, using WHO probe and mirrors, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for epidemiological studies.…”

“…atraumatic restorative treatment, traumatic dental injury, and other treatments, 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 few have evaluated the longitudinal impact of dental caries treatment on children's OHRQoL by considering subjective aspects. 14,15,16,17,18 Most studies comparing OHRQoL scores between children with and without dental caries have a cross-sectional design, which refrains them from determining the causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome.…”

“…14,15,16,17,18 Most studies comparing OHRQoL scores between children with and without dental caries have a cross-sectional design, which refrains them from determining the causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome. 6,7,13,18 Besides, studies monitoring the OHRQoL after restorative treatment for caries are limited to a 6-month follow-up period, and other studies assessing the impact of interventions for a longer time are thus needed.…”

“…6,7,13,18 Besides, studies monitoring the OHRQoL after restorative treatment for caries are limited to a 6-month follow-up period, and other studies assessing the impact of interventions for a longer time are thus needed. 14,15,16,17 Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effects of the caries treatment provided by a dental care program on changes in schoolchildren's OHRQoL. The findings presented in this prospective cohort study refer to data on a 1 year follow-up from a larger project that investigated the impact of dental treatment on children with and without dental caries.…”

“…The findings presented in this prospective cohort study refer to data on a 1 year follow-up from a larger project that investigated the impact of dental treatment on children with and without dental caries. 16 …”