Child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic factors associated with traumatic dental injuries in schoolchildren.

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship of child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic backgrounds to traumatic dental injuries in schoolchildren.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 12-year-old schoolchildren, representative of Santa Maria, a city in southern Brazil. The participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14), their parents or guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status, and a dental examination provided information on the prevalence of dental trauma. The assessment of association used Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of TDI was 9.7%. The maxillary central incisors were the most frequently traumatised, and the most commonly observed traumatic dental injury was enamel fracture. No association was observed among child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic factors with traumatic dental injuries after the adjustment.

CONCLUSION

Socioeconomic indicators are not associated with dental trauma in schoolchildren and this oral health condition has no negative impacts on children's quality of life.