IMPACT OF DENTAL CARIES AND PAIN ON CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Received 2024-02-19; Accepted 2024-03-02; Published 2024-03-25

Abstract

The Malay language Child Oral Health Impact Profile–Short Form 19 (ML COHIP-SF 19) is a validated self-administered questionnaire designed for a wide age range of children to measure the impact of clinical conditions on the children’s oral health-related quality of life. This study aimed to compare the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) between children with and without dental caries, and between children with and without dental pain among children aged 9-to-16-year-old using the newly validated Malay language COHIP-SF 19 (ML COHIP-SF 19) questionnaire. Children who aged 9-to-16-year-old, attended the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Al Amin Tropicana School Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, who understood Malay language were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study.  Those with low literacy in Malay language or presented with acute dental abscess and/or fistula, cognitively impaired, or had other chronic illnesses were excluded. After informed consent and assent were obtained, the children were invited to complete a questionnaire consisting of demographic details, ML COHIP-SF 19, and Faces Pain Scales-Revised. Subsequently, the children underwent dental examination. Dental caries were documented using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Data were statistically analysed using an independent t-test, Spearman’s correlation test and multiple regression analysis. Although not statistically significant (p=0.34), children with dental caries were found to have a lower mean total ML COHIP-SF 19 score (52.83±8.74) compared to children without dental caries (55.11 ±11.10). The prevalence of pain experience among the children was 52.9%. Children with dental pain had a significantly (p<0.01) lower mean total ML COHIP-SF 19 score (50.57±9.40) compared to those without dental pain (57.79±9.33). Besides, males (β=-4.65, p=0.03), younger children (β=-1.26, p=0.02, those without previous pain experience (β=-4.64, p=0.03), and children who rated their oral health status more positively (β=4.46, p<0.01) had better OHRQoL. Children who had no previous dental pain demonstrated better OHRQoL compared to those with a history of dental pain. Besides, no significant differences in OHRQoL were observed between children with and without dental caries.