The Impact of Traumatic Dental Injury on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of traumatic dental injury (TDI) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children, and further inform public oral health care policies and strategies for this age group TDI patients.

Materials and methods: This retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. It included 314 children aged from 2 to 5 years, with 90 children diagnosed with TDIs and 224 without TDIs. Parents or primary caregivers completed questionnaires, and the responses were gathered for statistical analysis to evaluate the impact of TDIs. The OHRQoL was assessed using the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS).

Results: The total ECOHIS score and the scores for the 13 individual items were significantly higher in children with TDIs compared with those without TDI (p < 0.001). In the child impact section, eating and masticatory function were the most severely affected (40%), while most of parents experienced strong feelings of self-blame in the family impact section (61.1%). A positive correlation was observed between the number of injured teeth and the total ECOHIS score (p = 0.001), while the time elapsed since TDI indicates a negative correlation with the total ECOHIS score (p < 0.001). Additionally, children with severe TDIs had higher ECOHIS scores than those with mild TDIs, indicating a greater impact on OHRQoL (p = 0.006). In contrast, tooth discoloration, the caregiver's relationship to the child, caregiver education level and the position of the affected teeth did not significantly influence the total ECOHIS score (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: TDIs have a significant impact on OHRQoL in preschool children, highlighting the need for greater societal attention. Strengthening preventive and proper treatment measures for TDIs, along with enhancing health education programs, is strongly recommended.