Daily Toothbrushing Frequency and the Association with Parental Report of Dental Pain and Discomfort in Preschool Children

• Main Authors: Bruna Letícia Vessoni Menoncin (Author), Patrícia Kochany Felipak (Author), Fabian Calixto Fraiz (Author), Juliana Feltrin de Souza (Author), José Vitor Nogara Borges Menezes (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Association of Support to Oral Health Research (APESB), 2022-03-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Objective: To evaluate the impact of daily toothbrushing frequency on parental reports of dental pain and discomfort in preschoolers. Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted involving 376 children between four and five years of age at public preschools in the city of Campo Magro, Brazil. Parents/guardians answered a socioeconomic questionnaire that contained a single question on the child's daily toothbrushing frequency and the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B). Statistical analysis involved bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses (α=0.05). Results: After the adjustments in the multivariate analysis, the prevalence of dental pain and discomfort was lower among children whose last visit to the dentist was for prevention (PR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.75-11.14; p=0.002) and those with a higher daily toothbrushing frequency (PR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.12-4.05; p=0.021). Conclusion: A lower toothbrushing frequency is associated with parental reports of dental pain and discomfort in preschoolers. Educational and preventive measures that stimulate an increase in daily toothbrushing frequency can contribute to a better oral health status in preschoolers, consequently, less prevalence of dental pain and discomfort.

Item Description

1519-0501
1983-4632