Oral health-related quality of life in children with celiac disease.

PURPOSE: There is limited knowledge about oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children with celiac disease (CD). This study aimed to assess OHRQoL in children with CD compared to healthy controls. METHODS: This case-control study included children with CD and healthy controls. Three scales were used to assess OHRQoL in different age groups: 6-7 years, 8-10 years, and 11-14 years. The OHRQoL scores were compared between cases and controls to examine the possible associations between OHRQoL and demographics, socioeconomic status, and oral health. RESULTS: Overall, 104 children with CD and 104 healthy children (controls) were included. The mean age was 10.67 ± 2.39 years in CD patients and 10.69 ± 2.36 in controls (P = 0.971). Male and female children constituted 50% of each group. Children with CD had significantly higher OHRQoL scores than controls (P = 0.003). Low education levels of parents of children with CD and a higher number of siblings in controls were associated with high OHRQoL scores (P = 0.002, P < 0.020, and P = 0.010, respectively). Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) increased the OHRQoL scores by 7.5 on average (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Children with CD had poor OHRQoL compared with healthy controls. Poor OHRQoL in children with CD was associated with RAS and with lower parental income and education. RAS was an independent predictor of poor OHRQoL in children with CD.

Oral and dental manifestations of celiac disease in children: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy. CD may also involve complications with the oral cavity, which can result in various dental and oral pathologies. There are currently a limited number of studies on the oral manifestation of CD. This study aims to compare the oral manifestations of children with CD against healthy controls in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study includes 208 children aged 6-14 years, distributed equally into CD patients and healthy controls. A parent completed and validated the interview questionnaire, which included the child's personal information and medical history. A dental examination was undertaken to measure possible recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), dental enamel defects (DEDs), dental caries experience, and dental malocclusion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred and eight participants were included (104 CD patients and 104 controls). The mean age for CD patients was 10.67 ± 2.39 years and 10.69 ± 2.36 for the healthy controls. CD children had more RAS than controls (42.3% vs. 15.4%, P < 0.001) (OR = 4.03, 95% CI = 2.09-7.81) and more DEDs than healthy controls (70.2% vs. 34.6%, P < 0.001) (OR = 4.45, 95% CI = 2.48-7.97). No significant difference was found in the frequency of malocclusion between cases and controls. CONCLUSION: Saudi Arabian children with CD had a greater number of clinical findings of RAS and DEDs than healthy controls. Pediatric dentists should consider the possibility of CD in child patients presenting with RAS or DEDs.

Dental maturity in children with celiac disease: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-related enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestion in susceptible individuals. Oral manifestations of CD have been frequently described, although reports on dental maturity (DM) are scant. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of DM in CD patients and to test for possible predictors. METHODS: This is a case-control study of children with CD and healthy controls between 2017 and 2020. A panoramic radiograph and comprehensive oral examination were performed for each participant. Dental age (DA) was measured according to Demirjian's method and DM was calculated by subtracting the chronological age (CA) from the DA. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the DM between CD patients and controls, and a multivariate analysis was utilized to look for predictors of DM. RESULTS: Two-hundred and eight participants (104 children with CD, and 104 healthy controls) were incorporated. The mean age for CD patients was 10.67 ± 2.40 years, and 10.69 ± 2.37 years for healthy controls (P = 0.971). CD patients had a higher prevalence of delayed DM than controls (62.5% vs. 3%, respectively). They also had a greater delay in DM than controls (- 7.94 ± 10.94 vs. 6.99 ± 8.77, P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis identified age between 6 and 7 years (ß ± SE = 16.21 ± 2.58, P < 0.001), as the only predictor for DM. CONCLUSIONS: CD patients had a greater prevalence of delayed DM than controls. No predictors for DM could be found, except young age.

Reliability and validity of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale for Arabic-speaking children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of dental fear is essential for the effective delivery of dental care. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). METHODS: A school-based sample of 1546 children was randomly recruited. The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS was completed by children during class time. The scale was tested for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. To test criterion validity, children's behavior was assessed using the Frankl scale during dental examination, and results were compared with children's CFSS-DS scores. To test the scale's construct validity, scores on "fear of going to the dentist soon" were correlated with CFSS-DS scores. Factor analysis was also used. RESULTS: The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS showed high reliability regarding both test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.83, p < 0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88). It showed good criterion validity: children with negative behavior had significantly higher fear scores (t = 13.67, p < 0.001). It also showed moderate construct validity (Spearman's rho correlation, r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Factor analysis identified the following factors: "fear of invasive dental procedures," "fear of less invasive dental procedures" and "fear of strangers." CONCLUSION: The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS is a reliable and valid measure of dental fear in Arabic-speaking children. Pediatric dentists and researchers may use this validated version of the CFSS-DS to measure dental fear in Arabic-speaking children.