Evaluation of the impact of a dental trauma care program on oral health-related quality of life of children and their families.

BACKGROUND/AIM: A traumatic dental injury (TDI) may have physical and psychosocial consequences for children and their families, and it may impact their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). The aim of this study was to assess the OHRQoL of children affected by TDI and their families after enrollment in the Dental Trauma Care Program (DTCP).

METHODS

This longitudinal clinical study involved a consecutive sample of 2- to 6-year-old children registered in the DTCP over a period of six years. Parents/caregivers were interviewed and the OHRQoL questionnaire was completed. The Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) was used before and after treatment. The Andreasen criteria were used to classify TDIs. The patients were treated (minimal intervention/invasive intervention) according to TDI severity (uncomplicated/complicated). Based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used to compare the ECOHIS total scale/subscales/domains before and after enrollment in the DTCP. The longitudinal changes were calculated using effect size measured by the Standardized Response Means (SRM). TDI severity and treatments were also evaluated.

RESULTS

The total ECOHIS mean scores were 7.4 ± 9.2 and 0.8 ± 2.5, before and after TDI treatment (p < .001), respectively. ECOHIS scores dropped by 6.6 points after treatment, demonstrating a positive reduction in the impact on OHRQoL, as reflected by the satisfactory responsiveness of ECOHIS (0.9). The changes following treatment, independent of TDI severity and type of treatment, were significant (p < .001) in children and the family section.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of TDI on OHRQoL reduced after the enrollment of patients and their families in the DTCP.