Caries status, caries severity, and oral health-related quality of life of preschool children in Kuantan

Dental caries among preschool children is prevalent and may affect their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). The aim of this study was to assess the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of preschool children from Kuantan in relation to their dental caries status and severity. A cross-sectional survey using the Malay version of Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (Malay-ECOHIS) involving preschool children aged three until six years old was conducted employing a convenience sampling. The dmft score of the preschool children was evaluated by a professional pediatric dentist, and the body mass index (BMI) was recorded. The caries status data was classified into either Absent (dmft = 0) or Present (dmft [≥] 1), while caries severity data was categorized into No Caries (dmft = 0), Moderate (dmft = 1 or 2), and High (dmft [≥] 3), depending on the caries experience. The Pearson Chi-square and Spearman correlation analyses were conducted. A high caries prevalence was recorded (89.1%), affecting 55 preschool children. They were more impacted than their family in terms of their OHRQOL, and those with high caries severity and those from low household income showed the lowest OHRQOL. However, since most of them were from high household income, their families were not financially impacted. It is important to not only assess the caries status of the preschool children when assessing their OHRQOL, but also their caries severity.