Toothache and its Determinants in 12-Year-Old Iranian Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Toothache is a common condition among children that often leads to school absenteeism. However, there is limited information on the prevalence of toothache and its associated factors in Iranian children. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of toothache and related factors in 12-year-old Iranian children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based study. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit the participants from three provinces (Tehran, Kerman, and Fars). Parents of 1,468 students aged 12 years completed a valid questionnaire that assessed their socioeconomic status and the children’s oral hygiene behavior, toothache, and absenteeism in the last 6 months. A multivariate random effects logistic regression model was adopted to analyze the effect of demographic, geographic, and oral hygiene practice factors on toothache prevalence. Results: The prevalence of toothache in children was high, with 41% (95% CI = 38.4, 43.5) of the children reporting toothache. Of the children who had a toothache, 12.8% missed 1 to 7 school days. The prevalence of toothache was significantly higher in children living in cities compared to those living in towns (P