The effect of dental treatment on oral health-related quality of life in adolescents

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of the study is to assess the effect of dental treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents from a city in South Brazil.

Materials and methods

This longitudinal study included 129 adolescents aged 10 to 15 years who received dental caries treatment in a university clinic in Santa Maria, Brazil. The OHRQoL was measured using the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged 11 to 14 years (CPQ_11–14). The questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews before treatment and 1 month after its completion. Paired t tests and effect sizes were used to evaluate changes in CPQ_11–14 scores after completion of treatment.

Results

In total, 43.4% of the study participants received solely restorations, 15.5% received endodontic treatment, and 44.2% underwent tooth extractions. The mean CPQ_11–14 score before treatment was 15.9 ± 10.3, which decreased to 6.3 ± 6.5 after treatment (P < 0.001). The same pattern was observed in the four domains of CPQ_11–14 (oral symptoms, functional limitation, emotional well-being, and social well-being). The effect sizes varied from 0.4 to 1.1, with oral symptoms and emotional well-being domains showing the greatest changes.

Conclusions

Dental treatment resulted in a significant improvement in the OHRQoL of the evaluated adolescents.

Clinical relevance

Providing dental treatment has beneficial effects on the quality of life of adolescents, especially for oral symptoms and emotional well-being.

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