Individual and contextual determinants associated with bullying in schoolchildren eight to ten years of age.

Investigate individual and contextual determinants associated with bullying in schoolchildren eight to ten years of age. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 739 schoolchildren, who answered a question about episodes of bullying related to oral health and questionnaires addressing childhood anxiety and orofacial dysfunction. The guardians provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, sleep disorders, and oral health literacy. Trained examiners assessed the children for the diagnosis of dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System, malocclusion using the Dental Aesthetic Index, orofacial dysfunction using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening and traumatic dental injury (Andreasen criteria) (Kappa> 0.80). The contextual variables were the type of school and the monthly income of the school neighborhood. Descriptive statistics was performed to characterize the sample and unadjusted and adjusted (p <0.05) multilevel Poisson regression models were run. The prevalence of bullying was 13.3%. After the adjusted analysis, malocclusion (PR=1.59; 95%CI:1.03-2.44) and anxiety (PR=1.79; 95%CI:1.10-2.93) remained associated with bullying. In terms of context, the monthly income of the neighborhood of the school was associated with bullying (PR=1.75; 95%CI:1.12-2.72). Malocclusion and anxiety influenced the occurrence of bullying. A lower average income in the school neighborhood was an important contextual determinant for the increase in the prevalence of bullying.

Impact of orthodontic treatment with aligners on the oral health-related quality of life of patients with trisomy 21.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of treatment with orthodontic aligners (OA) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with trisomy 21 (T21) compared to non-syndromic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 patients, both sexes, aged between 11 and 35 years, divided into two groups: T21 (n = 10, patients with T21, treated prospectively) and CONTROL (n = 20, control group, non-syndromic patients, from the Orthodontic Laboratory of UNOPAR). In both groups, patients were treated with Invisalign orthodontic aligners (Align Technology), following the same treatment parameters. Participants, assisted by their caregivers, when necessary, answered Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) instrument and the patient's guardians answered the Oral Health Scale for People with Down's syndrome (OHDS) instrument, before (T0) and after 30 (T1), 180 (T2), and 365 (T3) days from the start of treatment. Friedman tests with Bonferroni correction and Mann-Whitney tests were used (p < .05). RESULTS: For the OHDS instrument, it was observed that for the eating and communication domains and an overall score, the treatment with OA positively impacted the lives of T21 patients (p < .05). Regarding the OHIP-14 instrument, the intragroup evaluation showed that in the CONTROL group, there was no significant difference between the evaluated times; while for the T21 group, there was a significant positive impact (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the treatment with aligners positively impacted the OHRQoL of T21 patients, and these results were perceived by caregivers, mainly in relation to issues related to eating and communication.

Impact of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation on Quality of Life.

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is a multifaceted concept that surpasses an exclusively clinical perception and includes functional, social, emotional, and environmental issues. The measure of OHRQoL represents a holistic approach for research and clinical practice. Negative impacts of oral conditions on OHRQoL in childhood can reflect on health development, especially in a life stage marked by social and cognitive maturation. Therefore, such problems can impact negatively on the daily lives of the individuals and their families. Individuals with molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) experience more frequent posteruptive breakdown, an elevated risk of tooth decay, filling failures, the need for recurrent dental treatment, and a higher prevalence of dental hypersensitivity. Children with severe MIH may struggle with everyday activities, such as brushing their teeth, speaking, smiling, chewing, and consuming hot or cold foods. MIH-affected incisors may exhibit opacities that can impact the aesthetics of their smiles. This condition may discourage children from smiling and can indirectly affect their parents as well. The management modalities are focused on solving functional, aesthetic, and hypersensitivity problems and to evaluate OHRQoL values before and after therapies. Therefore, this chapter aims to discuss how MIH affects the OHRQoL of children and the questionnaires that can be used to evaluate that impact.

Factors associated with the anxiety score of deaf and hearing mothers. / Fatores associados ao escore de ansiedade de mães surdas e ouvintes.

PURPOSE: To associate maternal anxiety with sociodemographic factors, breastfeeding practices, oral habits, and the child's entry into daycare among deaf and hearing (non-deaf) mothers. METHODS: This retrospective comparative cross-sectional study included 116 mothers (29 deaf and 87 hearing) of children aged between two and five years. Deaf mothers belonged to a reference center in the city, while hearing mothers were contacted in public daycares where their children were enrolled. Mothers underwent interviews covering socio-economic factors and child development-related aspects. Additionally, they completed the Brazilian Beck Anxiety Inventory, adapted for both deaf and hearing individuals, serving as instruments to assess anxiety. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, Kruskal Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, and Poisson Regression were employed for statistical analyses (p<0.05). RESULTS: Deaf mothers exhibited anxiety scores one and a half times higher than hearing mothers. Moreover, mothers of children with thumb-sucking habits showed higher anxiety scores, while mothers whose children started attending daycare as infants demonstrated lower anxiety scores compared to mothers of children without such habits and who did not attend daycare. CONCLUSION: Deaf mothers displayed higher anxiety levels when compared to hearing mothers. Children's behaviors, such as thumb-sucking habits, and early enrollment in daycare during the first year of life influenced maternal anxiety.

OBJETIVO: Associar a ansiedade materna aos fatores sociodemográficos, pratica de aleitamento, hábitos bucais e ingresso da criança em creche entre mulheres surdas e ouvintes. MÉTODO: Participaram deste estudo transversal retrospectivo comparativo, 116 mães (29 surdas e 87 ouvintes) de crianças na faixa etária entre dois e cinco anos. As mães surdas pertenciam a um centro de referência da cidade e as mães ouvintes foram contatadas em creches públicas, onde seus filhos estavam matriculados. As mães foram submetidas a entrevista sobre fatores socioeconômicos e relacionados ao desenvolvimento dos filhos, além de realizarem o preenchimento do Inventário Brasileiro de Ansiedade de Beck, nas versões para surdos e ouvintes, que foram instrumentos usados para avaliar a ansiedade. O teste de normalidade de Kolmogorov-Smirnov, os testes de Kruskal Wallis, Mann-Whitney e Regressão de Poisson foram utilizados para análises estatísticas (p <0,05). RESULTADOS: Mães surdas apresentaram escore de ansiedade uma vez e meia maior que mães ouvintes. Além disso, mães de crianças com hábito de sucção de dedo apresentaram maior escore de ansiedade e mães cujos filhos começaram a frequentar a creche ainda bebês apresentaram menor escore de ansiedade, quando comparados a crianças sem o hábito e que não frequentavam a creche. CONCLUSÃO: Mães surdas apresentaram maior ansiedade quando comparadas às ouvintes. Comportamento dos filhos com hábitos de sucção de dedo e o ingresso em creches no primeiro ano de vida influenciaram a ansiedade materna.

Explicit discrimination among Brazilian dental students: A multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To test the association between socioeconomic and sociodemographic status of Brazilian dental students with discriminatory experiences suffered by them. METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 531 undergraduate dental students from four different Brazilian states. The Explicit Discrimination Scale (EDS) was used to measure the experience of discrimination in several daily situations. A questionnaire about sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, form of admission, and permanence in dental schools was developed and validated by experts and six dental students through cognitive interviews. The EDS and questionnaire were sent to students by an online platform using snowball sampling. Descriptive analysis, bivariate tests, and multiple Poisson regression were performed. RESULTS: Among the participants, most were female, white, heterosexual, and cisgender. The mean EDS total score was higher among those students who used Brazilian Affirmative Actions for higher education access and permanence (p < 0.005). The multiple analysis indicated that students who were black (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.484; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.291-1.705), women (PR = 1.227; 95%CI: 1.030-1.462), had lower monthly income (PR = 1.212; 95%CI: 1.043-1.409) and were lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, pansexual, and plus (LGBTQIAP+) (PR = 1.466; 95%CI: 1.238-1.735) showed a higher probability of discriminatory experiences when compared to white, male and heterosexual students with higher monthly income. CONCLUSION: There is a racial and social class pattern among dental students. The exclusionary factors such as black race, female gender, lower monthly income and being LGBTQIAP+ make students more vulnerable to discriminatory experiences.

Individual and contextual determinants associated with traumatic dental injuries in children eight to ten years of age: a multilevel analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate individual and contextual determinants associated with traumatic dental injuries in schoolchildren. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 739 pairs of parents and children. Parents answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale and a questionnaire on the child's use of electronic devices. Examinations of the children were conducted at the school by calibrated examiners using the diagnostic criteria proposed by Andreasen. Contextual variables of the school were also collected. Multilevel Poisson regression for complex samples was performed (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The individual factors associated with the outcome were children of single parents (PR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.79-2.66), practice of sports (PR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.70-3.22), the daily use of electronic devices (PR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.31-1.81), more than 2 h per day of screen time (PR = 3.84; 95% CI: 1.94-4.28) and chaotic family adaptability (PR = 4.22; 95% CI: 3.44-4.99). The contextual variables were studying at a public school (PR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.02-3.05) and the presence of rigid floor in the school courtyard (PR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.15-3.15). CONCLUSION: Individual determinants, studying at a public school and the presence of rigid floor in the school courtyard were associated with traumatic dental.

Dental research related to COVID-19 in Brazil: research presented at the 38th SBPqO Meeting.

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the characteristics of coronavirus (COVID-19)-disease related dental research in Brazil presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Division of the International Association for Dental Research (SBPqO). A search was carried out in the proceedings of the meeting to retrieve all abstracts. Those containing the term "COVID-19" in titles, abstracts, or keywords, and/or those of which the scope approached a COVID-19-related topic were included. The variables extracted from abstracts were: presenter category, field of study, design, data collection method, population, affiliation, and authors' gender. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, with a significance level of α = 0.05. The search retrieved 185 abstracts, 5 did not meet study eligibility criteria and were excluded. COVID-19-related research was presented by either aspiring/associate members (67.8%) or beginner members (32.2%). Data collection methods were predominantly digitally mediated (65%), followed by secondary data use (25%), and in-person data collection (7.2%). Irrespective of the role of authorship, there were a ratio of two female authors to each male. Among the last authors, the ratio was three females to each male. Female lead authors more frequently came from the Southeast region (71.8%; p = 0.470). There was an association between presenter category and study design (p = 0.012), clinical and epidemiological studies were more concentrated among experienced presenters. In conclusion, female dental researchers affiliated to southeastern institutions approached the topic of pandemic more frequently than male colleagues. The use of digital technology for data collection may have long-lasting impacts on the teaching and publication of dental research.

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

Exploring children's dental pain experiences helps to develop healthcare policies for improving oral health and quality of life. A cross-sectional study involved 300 parents/caregivers of four- to seven-year-old children using snowball sampling. Parents/caregivers self-completed an online questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, parenting styles, their child's oral hygiene practices, free sugar consumption, and dental history. The questionnaire was created using Google Forms and was disseminated to parents/caregivers via E-mail and/or WhatsApp©. Descriptive and Poisson regression analyses were performed (p < 0.05). Children's dental pain experience was reported by 20.3% of the parents. The authoritative parenting style was predominant. The child's mean age at the first consumption of sugar was 1.38 (±0.64) years, and 40.3% of the children had high-free sugar consumption. The mean age for the first dental appointment was 2.26 (±1.31) years, and 24.3% of the children never went to a dental appointment. The prevalence of dental pain experience was higher in children who attended their first dental appointment later (PR: 1.02; CI 95%: 1.01-1.03) and among those with high-free sugar consumption (PR: 1.90; CI 95%: 1.21-3.00). High sugar consumption and delay in the first dental appointment may increase the likelihood that children will experience dental pain.

Factors associated with the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life of adolescents: Assessment using a condition-specific instrument.

Background: Oral outcomes may have an impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents. Material and Methods: Individuals aged 10 to 18 years undergoing orthodontic treatment were included. Data regarding adolescents' sex and age, parental schooling, family income, and number of individuals who depend on income were collected. Clinical variables, orthodontic tooth extraction and malocclusion severity were also analyzed. OHRQoL was assessed with a questionnaire with items distributed across nine domains: aesthetics, functional limitation, diet, hygiene, maintenance, physical impact, social impact, time constraints, and transport/cost inconveniences. The higher the score, the more negative the adolescent's perception of his/her OHRQoL. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: Seventy-five adolescents participated. Individuals aged ≤12 years had a more negative perception of the diet domain (p=0.026). Individuals whose parents/guardians had ≥8 years of schooling had a more negative perception of the impact on the hygiene domain (p<0.024). Individuals whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries had a more negative perception of the maintenance domain (p=0.016). Girls had a more negative perception of the physical impact domain (p<0.018). Girls (p=0.011), adolescents whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries (p=0.003), and adolescents who had severe malocclusion (p=0.026) had a more negative perception of the transport/cost inconveniences domain. Girls had a significantly higher overall score in response to the questionnaire than boys (p=0.041). Conclusions: Adolescents' sex, age, and malocclusion as well as parental education and family income were associated with the impact of orthodontic treatment on adolescents' OHRQoL. Key words:Adolescent, Quality of life, Orthodontic treatment, Fixed appliance.

Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with Adolescents' Self-Perceived Need for Treatment.

The present study aimed to investigate associations between the self-perceived dental treatment need and clinical factors, familial characteristics, and school context in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 746 students aged 15 to 19 years in a medium-sized city in Brazil. Data collection involved the use of a sociodemographic questionnaire, an oral health questionnaire, and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES III) instrument. Clinical examinations were performed by two trained and calibrated examiners (Kappa > 0.80) using the Nyvad criteria. A robust logistic regression analysis for complex samples was performed using a multilevel approach (α = 5%). The individual factors associated with the self-perceived treatment need were dental pain (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01-1.16), the loss of the first molars (OR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03-1.15), and disengaged family cohesion (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01-1.31). In terms of context, attending a public school was associated with the self-perceived treatment need (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02-1.33). Thus, the individual factors of toothache, tooth loss, and a disengaged family, as well as the school context, exerted an influence on the self-perceived treatment need.

Early Childhood Caries and Its Consequences Impact Sleep in Preschool Children.

Purpose: To assess the impact of early childhood caries (ECC) and its clinical conse- quences on preschool children's sleep, as reported by caregivers. Methods: A representative cross-sectional study was carried out with preschoolers aged four to six years in Brazil. Caregivers responded to the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale and a specific question from this questionnaire was used to determine sleep-related quality of life: "Has your child had trouble sleeping because of dental problems or dental treatments?" Additionally, a self-administered questionnaire with socioeconomic questions was used. Clinical examinations were performed by two calibrated dentists to diagnose dental caries (International Caries Detection and Assessment System -epi) and its clinical consequences (pulpal involvement, tissue ulceration, fistula and abscesses [pufa] index). Adjusted and unadjusted Poisson regression was used for data analysis (P<0.05). Results: The sample consisted of 533 preschoolers, with 259 girls (51.4 percent) (n=259). The mean age of preschoolers was 4.78±0.6 (standard deviation) years. One-third (n=176) exhibited extensive carious lesions, and 14.1 percent (n=75) had clinical consequences of ECC. Conclusion: Children with clinical consequences of ECC were approximately 3.04 times more likely to have difficulty sleeping than children without them (95 percent confidence interval=1.75 to 5.25). The clinical consequences of ECC were significantly associated with difficulty sleeping among preschool children.

Late Eruption of Mandibular Central Incisor in Small for-Gestational-Age Infants: A Cohort Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the chronology of the eruption of primary mandibular central incisors in infants born preterm and with low weight (PLBW) and its association with weight/length ratio for gestational age (GA) at birth, individual characteristics and hospitalization at birth. Methods: A cohort of 46 infants was followed at a multidisciplinary reference center at a university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The inclusion criteria were infants born preterm with low/very low/extreme low birth weight and at least four months of age. Oral clinical examinations were carried out by a calibrated dentist for a total of eight months, with a one-month interval between each examination, to verify the chrono- logy of eruption of the primary mandibular central incisors. Caregivers completed a sociodemographic and health questionnaire. Data on neonatal hospitalization were collected from medical records. Data were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test, and bivariate analysis was done using the Mann-Whitney method and Kruskal-Wallis test (P <0.05). Results: The average age at eruption of primary lower central incisors was 11 months for both sexes. No association was found between tooth eruption and child hospitalization or individual characteristics (P >0.05). Infants large for gestational age had earlier tooth eruption (9.3±1.41 months) than infants small for gestational age (13.6±3.29 months; P <0.05).Conclusion: The most likely age for the eruption of the first primary teeth in infants born preterm and with low weight was 11 months, and there was no influence of individual characteristics and hospitalization at birth. Small-for-gestational age infants experienced delayed tooth eruption compared to large-for-GA infants.

Impact of dental sedation treatment on the oral health-related quality of life of distressed young children: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known regarding the impact of dental treatment under sedation on distressed young children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). AIM: To evaluate the impact of dental treatment under sedation on the OHRQoL of children and their families. METHODS: Caregivers of two-to-six-year-old children answered the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS): (1) before treatment under sedation (T0), (2) two weeks (T1) and (3) 3 months after the completion of treatment (T2). A global transition judgment was included in the posttreatment evaluations to determine the perception of changes in OHRQoL after dental treatment. Bivariate analysis was performed. Changes in scores and effect sizes (ES) were calculated. RESULTS: Reductions were found at both posttreatment evaluations in the total B-ECOHIS scores (median [25th-75th percentile] at T0: 14 [9.8-21.7]; T1: 2.0 [0.0-5.1]; T2: 2.0 [0.0-6.7]); "child impact" section (T0: 8.8 [4.0-13.1]; T1: 0.0 [0.0-2.2]; T2: 0.0 [0.0-4.3]) and "family impact" section (T0: 6.0 [4.0-8.5]; T1: 0.0 [0.0-2.0]; T2: 0.0 [0.0-2.0]) (≤0.001; large ES). In 92.3% of cases at T1 and 88.3% at T2, caregivers reported that their child's oral health improved considerably. CONCLUSION: Dental treatment under sedation significantly improved the OHRQoL of the children and their families.

Orthodontic treatment during pregnancy, lactation, and postmenopausal period: a questionnaire development.

This study aimed to develop and validate a self-administered questionnaire in Brazilian Portuguese to verify the level of knowledge of orthodontists in the care of pregnant, lactating, and postmenopausal women, named "Considerations on Orthodontic Treatment during Pregnancy, Lactation, and Postmenopausal Periods." The development and validation of the questionnaire consisted of the following steps: a) item generation; b) item reduction; c) questionnaire design; and d) validity and reliability tests in a cross-sectional study with 258 orthodontists working in the field from different Brazilian states. A total of 60 orthodontists participated in test-retest over a mean period of 45 days. The preliminary questionnaire consisted of a total of 60 questions. After item reduction, 40 questions were selected for the final version of the questionnaire, with eight questions about pregnant women; six about lactating women; 18 about postmenopausal women, and eight about general knowledge in dentistry. Each item had three response options in the Likert scale format. Face and content validity analysis, reliability assessment through internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega), and test-retest reliability through the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Spearman's correlation coefficient were performed. Face and content validity indicated that the questionnaire was considered valid, objective, and easily understandable. The questionnaire had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77; McDonald's omega = 0.78) and good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.71; Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.51). The questionnaire was considered valid and reliable to assess the level of knowledge of orthodontists in the care of pregnant, lactating, and postmenopausal women.

Sleep disorders, anxiety and obesity associated with untreated dental caries in children eight to ten years of age.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of sleep disorders, obesity and anxiety associated with cavitated carious lesions in children aged 8 to 10 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Northeast of Brazil. The sample was comprised of 793 schoolchildren randomly selected from public and private schools. Calibrated examiners (Kappa >0.80) performed the clinical examination of dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System and applied the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaires. The anthropometric variables evaluated were weight and height. Negative binomial regressions (α ≤ 0.05) were performed. A Directed Acyclic Graph was prepared using DAGitty software (version 3.0), to select the co-variables for the statistical fits. RESULTS: The prevalence of tooth decay was 52.8%. The mean number of tooth surfaces with cavitated caries was 2.2(2.8), 58.9% of the schoolchildren had some type of sleep disorder, while 20.2% were anxious and 29.1% were obese. Sleep disturbance (RR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.05-1.83), general anxiety (RR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.32-2.21), obesity (RR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.17-1.86) were associated with dental caries in the final model. CONCLUSION: The presence of carious lesions was higher in children with sleep disorders, anxiety, obesity, and those who experienced dry mouth.

Impact of pulpectomy versus tooth extraction in children's oral health-related quality of life: A randomized clinical trial.

AIM: The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to compare the impact of two management options for primary molars with pulp necrosis (pulpectomy or extraction) on children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). DESIGN: A total of 100 children aged 3-5 years with at least one necrotic primary molar were selected and randomized into the study groups. The Brazilian version of early childhood oral health impact scale (B-ECOHIS) was completed by the parent proxy reports at baseline and after 4, 8 and 12 months. Differences between the trial groups were assessed through bootstrap linear regression for B-ECOHIS scores, logistic regression for dental pain self-reports and anxiety scores (α = 5%). RESULTS: The mean (SD) B-ECOHIS scores at baseline and after 12 months were 17.7 (6.5) and 3.0 (4.0) in the pulpectomy group and 18.8 (7.7) and 7.9 (7.7) in the extraction group. Both treatments significantly improved OHRQoL, but tooth extraction group showed higher scores in total B-ECOHIS (p < .001) and most domains, indicating lower OHRQoL. Furthermore, higher anxiety levels were reported for dental extraction compared to pulpectomy (OR = 2.52; p = .008). CONCLUSION: Pulpectomy resulted in an improved OHRQoL scores after 12 months when compared to tooth extraction and should be considered as the treatment of choice for necrotic primary molars.

Oral health characteristics in children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

AIM: To compare oral health indicators of children/adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) with a group of children/adolescents without DS. METHODS AND RESULTS: This cross-sectional study included 144 individuals with DS, ages 4 to 18 years, matched for age and sex with a group of 144 individuals without DS, and their parents/caregivers. Parents/caregivers completed a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic information and habits related to their children's oral health. Clinical examination of the children/adolescents evaluated dental caries experience (DMFT/dmft), bleeding on periodontal probing, presence of visible plaque, clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (PUFA/pufa), and malocclusion (DAI). The chi-square test, linear by linear test, and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare the variables between the groups (p < .05). Children/adolescents without DS brushed their teeth more times per day (p < .001) and had a higher frequency of daily sugar intake (p < .001). The children/adolescents in the DS group had a greater presence of gingival bleeding (p < .001) and had a greater number of cases of "severe malocclusion" and "very severe malocclusion" (p = .001). No difference was found in the prevalence of dental caries between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The children/adolescents in the DS group had a greater presence of gingival bleeding during the clinical examination and had a greater need for orthodontic treatment.

Changes in Oral Health-Related Behaviors and Oral Health of Children in Early Childhood during Social Isolation Caused by COVID-19

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess changes in oral health-related behavior and oral health status in Brazilian children in early childhood perceived by their parents/caregivers during social isolation caused by COVID-19. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with parents/caregivers of children in southeastern Brazil aged 0-5 years who responded to an online questionnaire about sociodemographic data, dietary changes, oral hygiene, and oral health status of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 119 parents/caregivers, 54.60% did not observe any changes in eating habits, and 81.50% maintained their children's oral hygiene. Associations were observed between the impact of the pandemic on the family income and changes in eating habits (p=0.02) and between lower family income and dental caries perceived by parents/caregivers (p=0.05). Z tests with Bonferroni correction showed that families with drastic income reduction were more likely to consume lower-cost foods (62.50%) than families with no impact or slight reduction on family income. Parents/caregivers did not identify dental caries (89.10%), toothache (92.40%), and dental trauma (92.40%) in their children. Conclusion: Parents/caregivers of children in southeastern Brazil aged 0-5 years observed behavioral changes in the dietary habits of families whose income was impacted by the pandemic, and their perception of dental caries was significantly associated with family income.