Dental pain and associated factors in Brazilian preschoolers

Objective

To describe the prevalence of dental pain in Brazilian preschoolers, as well as its associated factors, considering a representative sample of that population group in Brazil.

Methods

Cross-sectional study that used the analytical data from national oral health survey (SB Brazil) carried out in 2010. A representative sample of Brazilian preschoolers aged 5 years was considered. Interviews were carried out (answered by parents/tutors), as well as clinical examinations in children. Descriptive, bivariate and mutiple analyzes were performed, described in odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (OR/95%CI).

Results

7280 preschoolers were included. Of these, 1520 (21.1%) had dental pain in the last 6 months. The chance of the occurrence of dental pain was higher among those who used dental services (1.51/1.02–2.23), with tooth decay (3.08/2.08–4.56), that self-perceveid the need for dental treatment (3.96/2.48–6.34), whose parents reported dissatisfaction by children with their teeth and mouth (1.47/1.04–2.10) and those who reported impact of oral problems on quality of life (5.76/3.90–8.49).

Conclusions

The prevalence of dental pain among Brazilian preschool children was relatively high, being associated with the use of dental services and the normative and subjective oral health status.