Dental Pain in Preschool Children Using the Brazilian Dental Discomfort Questionnaire and its Association with Dental Caries and Socioeconomic Factors

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of dental pain in preschool children through the Brazilian Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B) and its association with dental caries, its severity, and socioeconomic factors. Methods: The study included 485 three- to four-year-olds who attended the National Day of Children's Vaccination in Rio Paulo, Brazil. Parents answered the DDQ-B and questions of socioeconomic conditions. Calibrated dentists assessed dental caries using the decayed, missing. and filled primary teeth (draft) index and its severity using the pulpal involvement, ulceration of mucosa due to root fragments, fistula, and abscess (PUFA) index Poisson regression with robust variance was used with a level of significance of five percent. Results: The prevalence of dental pain was 11.8 percent Dental pain was associated with a prevalence of dental caries (prevalence ratio [PR] equals Z47; 95 percent confidence interval [95% CI] equals 1.33 to 4.58; P=0.004) and severe caries (PR equals 2.98; 95% CI equals 1.39 to 6.39; P=0.005). Socioeconomic factors were not associated with dental pain. Conclusions: The prevalence of dental pain in preschool children is relevant when assessed through the Brazilian Dental Discomfort Questionnaire. Dental pain is associated with dental caries prevalence and its severity. Socioeconomic factors were not associated with dental pain.