Does the severity of untreated dental caries of preschool children influence the oral health-related quality of life?

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To assess the impact of untreated dental caries and its severity on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of Kuwaiti preschool children and their caregivers.

Methods

Participants were 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten children attending preselected public schools from one of the Governorates in Kuwait. Early childhood caries (ECC) was evaluated by clinical examinations and presented using decayed, missed, filled teeth/surface (dmft/dmfs). The clinical consequences of untreated dental caries were assessed using the pufa (pulp, ulcers, fistula, abscess) index for primary teeth. A structured questionnaire obtained demographic information of children and their caregivers. OHRQoL was assessed using the Arabic version of Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (A-ECOH

SUBMITTER: Alanzi A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10416462 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature