Impact of untreated dental caries on quality of life of preschool children: different stages and activity

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present population-based cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between untreated dental caries, considering stages and activity, and the impact on OHRQoL among preschool children and their parents/caregivers. METHODS: A randomly selected sample of 451 Brazilian preschool children aged three to 5 years underwent a clinical oral examination for the assessment of dental caries using the ICDAS II criteria. Parents/caregivers were asked to answer two questionnaires: one on the OHRQoL of the children (ECOHIS) and another on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the children and families. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of early childhood caries was 51.2%. The majority of teeth with caries exhibited severe decay (60.6%). Untreated severe decay, such as active lesions within visible dentin (P < 0.001), extensive active and inactive cavity without pulp exposure or fistula (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively), extensive cavity with pulp exposure and absence of fistula (P = 0.003) and root remnant (P = 0.002), were associated with a negative impact on quality of life. CONCLUSION: Active and inactive untreated severe carious lesions were associated with a negative impact on the quality of life of preschoolers and their parents/caregivers.