Association between occlusal characteristics and the occurrence of dental trauma in preschool children: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Occlusal features may increase the risk of dental trauma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between occlusal characteristics and the occurrence of dental trauma in preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted with a representative sample of 200 children 3-5 years of age enrolled at private and public preschools in the city of Diamantina, Brazil. The case and control groups were matched for gender, age and type of preschool (public or private) at a ratio of 1:1 (100 cases and 100 controls). Independent variables of interest to the study (occlusal characteristics) and potential confounders (sociodemographic characteristics, sucking habits and lip coverage) were investigated. Intra-examiner and inter-examiner kappa values were higher than 0.80 for all oral conditions evaluated. The SPSS 22.0 program was used to analyse the data. Descriptive and univariate analyses as well as simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The occlusal feature most strongly associated with trauma was anterior open bite (OR = 3.80; 95% CI: 1.42-10.16). Maxillary anterior crowding (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.00-4.63) and overjet (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.58-2.17) were associated with the occurrence of trauma independently of the confounding variables (sociodemographic characteristics, sucking habits and lip coverage), but these variables lost their significance when adjusted for other types of malocclusion. Anterior open bite remained strongly associated with dental trauma, regardless of confounding variables and other types of malocclusion. CONCLUSION: Anterior open bite was the main variable associated with dental trauma in the preschool children analysed independently of the confounding variables and the presence of other malocclusions.

Respiratory disorders and the prevalence of sleep bruxism among schoolchildren aged 8 to 11 years.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between respiratory disorders and sleep bruxism, with an evaluation of demographic/socioeconomic factors and childhood stress as confounding variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in the city of Diamantina, Brazil, with 448 randomly selected schoolchildren aged 8 to 11 years. The schoolchildren underwent an oral examination for the evaluation of bruxism. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire for the assessment of sleep bruxism; socioeconomic-demographic factors; and respiratory disorders, such as rhinitis, sinusitis, and bronchitis. The schoolchildren filled out the Children's Stress Scale. Poisson regression models were constructed separately for each respiratory disorder to determine prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Sleep bruxism was more prevalent among children with rhinitis (PR = 1.45; 95%CI 1.08-1.93; p = 0.012) and sinusitis (PR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.06-2.36; p = 0.023). No significant association was found between sleep bruxism and bronchitis. A greater frequency of sleep bruxism was found among children whose mothers had a higher level of schooling and those who reported stress in the resistance/exhaustion phase. CONCLUSION: Rhinitis and sinusitis were associated with sleep bruxism. Moreover, sleep bruxism was more prevalent among children whose mothers had a higher level of schooling and those with higher degrees of stress.

Maternal Stress and Behavioral and Clinical Factors Associated with Dental Trauma in Schoolchildren.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between traumatic dental injury (TDI) and maternal stress and demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of schoolchildren. METHODS: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted involving 396 eight- to 11- year-old schoolchildren in the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Maternal stress and demographic and behavioral (breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking habits) factors were evaluated using a questionnaire. Overjet and TDI were recorded by a dentist who underwent training and a calibration exercise. Hierarchically-adjusted Poisson regression models were employed to determine factors associated with TDI. RESULTS: In the final regression model, the prevalence of TDI was 75 percent higher among schoolchildren who were breastfed for less than six months (prevalence ratio [PR]=1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.16 to 2.66), 72 percent higher among those who engaged in finger-/thumb-sucking after three years of age (PR=1.72; 95% CI=1.16 to 2.56) and 91 percent among those with overjet greater than three mm (PR=1.91; 95% CI=1.29 to 2.84). CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding duration, finger-/thumb-sucking and increased overjet were associated with TDI. These factors were aggravated by maternal stress, but it lost its significance in the multivariate analysis.

Severity of Dental Caries and Quality of Life for Toddlers and Their Families.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the impact of untreated caries in different stages on the oral healthrelated quality of life (OHRQoL) of one- to three-year-olds and their families. METHODS: The mothers of 308 children answered the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale to determine their perceptions of the OHRQoL of their children. The mothers also answered a questionnaire addressing demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of their families. The children were submitted to a clinical examination for the diagnosis of dental caries using International Caries Detection and Assessment System criteria. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests, and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of untreated caries was 64.3 percent. Among the children with caries, 53.5 percent exhibited the severe stage of the condition. Negative impact on OHRQoL was significantly associated with severe stage of caries (prevalence ratio [PR] equals 2.80, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] equals 1.90 to 4.12, P<0.001), and a younger age for the mother (PR equals 1.69, 95 percent CI equals 1.27 to 2.25, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Untreated caries in advanced stages was associated with a poorer quality of life among one- to three-year-olds and their families.