Impact of Pulp Necrosis on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Children with Early Childhood Caries.

Purpose: To assess the impact of pulp necrosis on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with early childhood caries and their caregivers.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with a consecutive sample of children who were divided into three groups: (1) caries-free children; (2) with untreated carious lesions and without pulp necrosis; and (3) with untreated carious lesions and at least one tooth with pulp necrosis. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and a dental clinical examination using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System index. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney tests and Poisson regression were performed (P <0.05).
Results: A total of 532 children and their legal guardians participated in the study. Children with pulp necrosis had a greater negative impact on the OHRQoL versus those with untreated carious lesions without pulp necrosis (ratio of unadjusted and adjusted rates [RR] = 1.59; 95 percent confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.36 to 1.86; P <0.001), as measured by the total ECOHIS score. in Group 3, four- and five-year-old children had a greater negative impact on the OHRQoL than two- and three-year-old peers (RR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.72; P <0,001).
Conclusion: The presence of pulp necrosis increased the negative impact on OHRQoL of children with untreated carious lesions and their guardians.

Does outpatient dental treatment have impact on the quality of life of children with early childhood caries?

AIM: To assess the impact of outpatient dental treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and their families. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted with children with untreated dental caries, recruited from a public university/the pediatric dentistry clinic of a public university in the northeastern Brazil. Sociodemographic data were collected, a clinical examination was carried out before and after dental treatment, and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) questionnaire was applied to those responsible for the children, before and after dental treatment. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used, and the Wilcoxon and Student's t tests were applied (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The study included 64 children, of both sexes, aged between 3 and 5 years old. The majority had a dmft index higher than or equal to 6 (60.9%), with a mean value of 7.11 (± 4.11). Sociodemographic conditions such as sex, age, and socioeconomic status had no impact on their OHRQoL (p > 0.05). The mean total ECOHIS questionnaire scores and those of its domains decreased after completion of the treatments (p < 0.05), except for scores in the self-image and distress domains of the parents (p > 0.05). This study reinforces the relevance of adopting oral health policies aimed at the prevention and treatment of ECC. CONCLUSION: Outpatient dental treatment had a positive impact on the OHRQoL of children and their families. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The possibility of evaluating the services provided by the pediatric dentistry clinic.