Impact of Early Childhood Caries on oral health-related quality of life of preschool children

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ABSTRACT

Aim

Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) has been assessed in developed areas; however, it remains
unstudied in mainland China. Studies on COHRQoL would benefit a large number of children in China suffering from oral health
problems such as dental caries. This study explored the relationship between COHRQoL and early childhood caries, adjusted by
socioeconomic factors, in 3- to 4-year-old children in a region of southern China.

Methods

In this study, 1062
children aged 3-4 years were recruited by cluster sampling and their oral health statuses were examined by a trained dentist. The
Chinese version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and questions about the children's socioeconomic
conditions were completed by the children's parents. A negative binomial regression analysis was used to assess the prevalence of
early childhood caries among the children and its influence on COHRQoL.

Results

The total ECOHIS scores of the returned scale
sets ranged from 0 to 31, and their average scores was 3.15.1. The negative binomial analysis showed that the dmfs indices
were significantly associated with the ECOHIS score and subscale scores (P<0.05). The multivariate adjusted model showed that a higher dmft index was associated with greater negative impact on COHRQoL (RR 1.10; 95% CI 1.07, 1.13; P < 0.05). However, demographic and socioeconomic factors were not associated with COHRQoL (P>0.05).

Conclusion

The severity
of early childhood caries has a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life of preschool children and their
parents.

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