Impact of mild dental fluorosis on the quality of life in school-aged children in La Rioja, Argentina

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of dental fluorosis on the quality of life in relation to oral health in school-aged children in the Municipality of San Blas de los Sauces and Bañado de los Pantanos, La Rioja, Argentina.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in a sample of 22 school-aged children with mild fluorosis (TFI) scores of 1 to 3. The CPQ 11-14 questionnaire was used to determine the quality of life related to children's perception of oral health. Statistical Analysis: Means, standard deviations, and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated for the CPQ 11-14. Repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc testing was used to assess the impact of oral health-related quality of life among the dimensions.

Results: The mean score for the Oral Symptoms dimension was 50% (95%CI 43%-58%); Functional Limitation was 42% (95%CI 34%-50%); Emotional well-being was 43% (95% CI 33%-53%) and Social well-being was 34% (95% CI 26%-42%). Statistically significant differences were observed in the Oral Symptoms dimension compared to the other dimensions.

Conclusions: According to the conditions of this study, there is a low to moderate impact of oral conditions on quality of life in children with mild fluorosis. The greatest impact on quality of life was observed in oral symptoms.