Malocclusion negatively impacted the oral health-related quality of life of children of low socioeconomic status

Abstract Aim: This study assessed whether the presence of malocclusion had a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of eight to ten-year-old children of low socioeconomic status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 111 children, eight to ten years of age, randomly selected from public schools from Diamantina, MG, Brazil. The number of children was determined by a sample size calculation. Two calibrated examiners performed clinical oral examinations for the diagnosis of malocclusion, dental caries experience, and traumatic dental injuries following the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Andreasen’s classification, respectively. The Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10) was applied to evaluate the OHRQoL. Descriptive and bivariate (p < 0.05) analyses were also performed. Results: Children had a mean age of 8.89 ± 0.82 years, of which 52.3% were female. The prevalence of malocclusion was 62.2%. Significant differences were found in emotional (p = 0.045) and social (p = 0.017) well-being subscale scores as well as in the total CPQ8-10 (p = 0.022) scores between children with and without malocclusion. Conclusion: The presence of malocclusion negatively impacted the OHRQoL of children aged eight to ten years of age of a low socioeconomic status. Uniterms: Child. Malocclusion. Pediatric dentistry. Quality of life.