Childhood stress, dental caries and oral health-related quality of life in children with dental caries: A structural equation modeling approach.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and evaluate a structural model of the pathways between dental caries, childhood stress, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schoolchildren.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included a representative sample of 473 Brazilian schoolchildren aged 8 to 10 years. Data collection involved a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Child Stress Scale (CSS), and the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10). Clinical examinations were performed to assess untreated dental caries using the dmft index. Structural equation modeling was conducted using Mplus version 8.6, and the results were reported in terms of standardized beta coefficients and p-values (95% significance level).

RESULTS

Children with higher levels of stress experienced a negative impact on OHRQoL (β=0.458; P < 0.001). An indirect association was found, where childhood stress negatively affected OHRQoL through the presence of dental caries, with children who had more decayed teeth reporting worse OHRQoL (β=0.106; P = 0.003). Socioeconomic status was also associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL, both directly (β=-0.146; P = 0.002) and indirectly, through dental caries.

CONCLUSION

The structural model showed that childhood stress negatively affects OHRQoL, both directly and indirectly, through dental caries. These findings highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to pediatric dental care that takes psychological factors into account.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Integrating psychological support into pediatric dental practice can improve overall patient outcomes, particularly for children with higher stress levels and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.