Parental Reports of Children’s Dental Pain Experience and Associated Factors among Brazilian Children

Jéssica Aparecida Silva-Rabelo, Letícia Fernanda Moreira-Santos, Júnia Maria Serra-Negra, Cristiane Baccin Bendo, Saul Martins Paiva () and Isabela Almeida Pordeus
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Jéssica Aparecida Silva-Rabelo: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Letícia Fernanda Moreira-Santos: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Júnia Maria Serra-Negra: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cristiane Baccin Bendo: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Saul Martins Paiva: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Isabela Almeida Pordeus: Departament of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Exploring children’s dental pain experiences helps to develop healthcare policies for improving oral health and quality of life. A cross-sectional study involved 300 parents/caregivers of four- to seven-year-old children using snowball sampling. Parents/caregivers self-completed an online questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, parenting styles, their child’s oral hygiene practices, free sugar consumption, and dental history. The questionnaire was created using Google Forms and was disseminated to parents/caregivers via E-mail and/or WhatsApp©. Descriptive and Poisson regression analyses were performed ( p < 0.05). Children’s dental pain experience was reported by 20.3% of the parents. The authoritative parenting style was predominant. The child’s mean age at the first consumption of sugar was 1.38 (±0.64) years, and 40.3% of the children had high-free sugar consumption. The mean age for the first dental appointment was 2.26 (±1.31) years, and 24.3% of the children never went to a dental appointment. The prevalence of dental pain experience was higher in children who attended their first dental appointment later (PR: 1.02; CI 95%: 1.01–1.03) and among those with high-free sugar consumption (PR: 1.90; CI 95%: 1.21–3.00). High sugar consumption and delay in the first dental appointment may increase the likelihood that children will experience dental pain.

Keywords: dental caries; toothache; pain; preschool children; pediatric dentistry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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