Sara Regina Barancelli Todero

Profile of orofacial dysfunction in Brazilian children using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening

Abstract Objective: The parameters of orofacial dysfunction (OFD) in children can guide clinicians and researchers in the monitoring of deviations from normality. The aim for this study was to evaluate manifestation patterns and the prevalence of OFD in children. Materials and methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving 531 schoolchildren (8–10 years old) in a small city in southern Brazil. OFD was evaluated using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Poisson multiple regression analysis with robust variance was used to estimate adjusted NOT-S rate ratios (ratio of arithmetic means) among the different categories of covariables and their respective 95% confidence interval (RR: 95%CI). Results: The mean NOT-S score was 2.1 (SD 1.4, median: 2.0; range: 0–8). The majority of children (87.6%) had at least one domain of the scale affected. The most affected were Chewing and Swallowing (50.5%), Habits (41.4%) and Breathing (26.4%). NOT-S scores were lower among children from higher income families (RR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.61–0.87) and higher among those with difficulty regarding access to dental services (RR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01–1.28), those with sleep bruxism (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04–1.32) and those with open bite (RR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.42–1.93). Conclusions: The prevalence of OFD was high and both socioeconomic and clinical factors exerted an influence on NOT-S scores.

A population-based study on the impact of orofacial dysfunction on oral health-related quality of life among Brazilian schoolchildren

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of orofacial dysfunction on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Brazilian schoolchildren. Material and methods: A population-based study was conducted with 531 children aged eight to 10 years at schools in the city of Campo Magro, Brazil. The Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8–10) was the outcome variable used to measure the impact on OHRQoL. The main independent variable was orofacial function, which was diagnosed using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Descriptive, bivariate and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed using a multilevel approach, with the significance level set to 5%. Results: The mean (±SD) total CPQ8–10 score was 13.95 ± 0.5. The multilevel Poisson regression model revealed that the mean CPQ8-10 score was higher among girls (RR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.17–1.63; p < 0.001) than boys and that children from families with a higher income had lower CPQ8–10 scores (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51–0.88; p = 0.004) than those from families with a lower income. Children who sought dental care due to pain or factors other than prevention (RR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.18–1.68), those with orofacial dysfunction (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.30–2.02) and those with a history of traumatic dental injury (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15–1.69) also experienced a greater impact on OHRQoL. Conclusions: Schoolchildren with orofacial dysfunction experience a greater negative impact on OHRQoL.