Protocol for a Case Control Study to Evaluate Oral Health as a Biomarker of Child Exposure to Adverse Psychosocial Experiences

Anna Durbin, Bennett T. Amaechi, Stephen Abrams, Andreas Mandelis, Sara Werb, Benjamin Roebuck, Janet Durbin, Ri Wang, Maryam Daneshvarfard, Konesh Sivagurunathan and Laurent Bozec
Additional contact information
Anna Durbin: MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
Bennett T. Amaechi: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
Stephen Abrams: Cliffcrest Dental Office, Four Cell Consulting, Quantum Dental Technologies, Toronto, ON M6B 1L3, Canada
Andreas Mandelis: Center for Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies (CADIPT), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
Sara Werb: Toronto Children’s Dentistry, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
Benjamin Roebuck: Victimology Research Centre, Algonquin College, Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8, Canada
Janet Durbin: Provincial System Support Program (PSSP), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
Ri Wang: MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
Maryam Daneshvarfard: MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
Konesh Sivagurunathan: Center for Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies (CADIPT), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
Laurent Bozec: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Background: The early identification of children who have experienced adversity is critical for the timely delivery of interventions to improve coping and reduce negative consequences. Self-report is the usual practice for identifying children with exposure to adversity. However, physiological characteristics that signal the presence of disease or other exposures may provide a more objective identification strategy. This protocol describes a case–control study that assesses whether exposure to adversity is more common in children with tooth enamel anomalies compared to children without such anomalies. Methods: For 150 mother–child pairs from a pediatric dental clinic in Toronto, Canada, maternal interviews will assess the child’s adverse and resilience-building experiences. Per child, one (exfoliated or extracted) tooth will be assessed for suspected enamel anomalies. If anomalies are present, the child is a case, and if absent, the child is a control. Tooth assessment modalities will include usual practice for dental exams (visual assessment) and modalities with greater sensitivity to identify anomalies. Conclusion: If structural changes in children’s teeth are associated with exposure to adversity, routine dental exams could provide an opportunity to screen children for experiences of adversity. Affected children could be referred for follow-up.

Keywords: enamel anomalies; resilience; adversity; childhood; teeth; developmental defects of enamel; visual assessment; photothermal radiometry and modulated luminescence; truncated correlation-photothermal coherence tomography; microcomputed tomography; white spot lesions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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