A relação entre cárie dentária e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal: o possível efeito mediador ou moderador da dor dentária e fatores psicossociais em crianças aos 12 anos de idade

Abstract

The present study evaluated the role of dental pain, sense of coherence and social support in the impact of dental caries on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in 12-year-old children, based on the theoretical model of Wilson and Cleary. The model included biological and physiological factors (dental caries), physical symptomatic factors (dental pain), individual characteristics (sense of coherence), environmental characteristics (social support) and OHRQoL (CPQ11-14) as an outcome. The study was observational, transversal and analytical with a sample of 400 children from public schools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged region in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Clinical data on dental caries were collected by five calibrated examiners to evaluate untreated caries and its clinical sequels, using the DMFT and PUFA/pufa indexes, respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted through descriptive analysis, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and moderation analysis (negative binominal regression). The prevalence of dental pain in children was 36%. The mean of the sense of coherence, social support and OHRQoL were 45.68, 141.04 and 16.13, respectively. Dental pain, sense of coherence and social support in the relationship between dental caries and OHRQoL in children were confirmed as mediating effects, however, moderating effects were not found. Therefore, it is recommended that oral health care should integrate symptomatic and psychosocial factors in order to reduce the impact of dental caries on the OHRQoL and to obtain better results in health and quality of life.