Agreement between mothers and children with malocclusion in rating children's oral health-related quality of life.

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to compare the assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OH-QoL) between children with malocclusion and their mothers, by using responses to the child perceptions questionnaire and the parental-caregivers perceptions questionnaire.

METHODS

The study was conducted in 90 children, aged 11 to 14 years, with a malocclusion grade of 4 or 5 according to the index of orthodontic treatement need dental health component. The children and their mothers completed the questionnaires independently.

RESULTS

The mean ratings were similar for total scores (children, 20.4; mothers, 20.1), oral symptoms (children, 5.2; mothers, 4.7), and social well-being (children, 4.3; mothers, 4.8). However, the mothers group had a lower mean score for functional limitations (children, 5.3; mothers, 3.6) and a higher mean score for emotional well-being (children, 5.6; mothers, 7.1). The correlations between children's and mothers' responses ranged from rs = 0.545 for total score and emotional well-being to rs = 0.357 for functional limitations. There were good correlations between their responses to global (rs = 0.466) and life overall (rs = 0.427) questions, but poor correlations between the 2 questions, suggesting that these concepts were considered differently.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal opinions were similar to those of their children for the overall impact on OH-QoL of malocclusion, but mothers were more dissatisfied with the appearance of their children's teeth and overestimated the emotional impact of malocclusion. It would be useful to develop a specific measure to assess OH-QoL in children with malocclusion.