Oral health-related quality of life of children in relation to dental appearance and educational transition.

Background: A variety of inherited and acquired conditions affect the dentition. The aim of this research was to investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children in relation to the status of their permanent incisors, at a significant transitional stage in their childhood.
Method: Two hundred and sixteen patients of the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield, aged between 10 and 11 years, were sent an OHRQoL questionnaire (CPQ₁₁₋₁₄) three months before secondary school entry. Participants were categorised, according to clinical status, as having a visible dental difference (abnormal incisor aesthetics and/or orthodontic malocclusion) or no visible difference. Follow-up questionnaires were issued three months after secondary school entry to obtain repeat psychosocial data. Analysis of variance tests investigated the impact of clinical variables, self-reported satisfaction with dental appearance and gender on OHRQoL during educational transition.
Results: Ninety-two children participated in the baseline study and 71 of these children completed the follow-up questionnaire (43% and 77% response rates, respectively). Visible dental differences and dissatisfaction with dental appearance were associated with worse OHRQoL at baseline and follow-up.
Conclusions: Dental conditions which result in visible incisor differences are associated with higher levels of dissatisfaction with appearance and have potential to negatively impact on children's OHRQoL.