Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life among schoolchildren

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among schoolchildren and the responsiveness of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ(8-10)) instrument. Brazilian schoolchildren, 8-10yr of age, were randomly selected and assigned to two groups - dental caries treatment (DCT) and caries-free (CF) - according to their caries experience [decayed, missing, or filled primary teeth (dmft) and decayed, missing or filled secondary teeth (DMFT) values of 0]. The CPQ(8-10) instrument was administered at baseline and at 4wk of follow-up (i.e. 4wk after completion of dental treatment). In the DCT group, increases in CPQ(8-10) scores were observed between the baseline and follow-up results. However, longitudinal evaluation of the CF group demonstrated no statistically significant difference in CPQ(8-10) scores. Responsiveness of the CPQ(8-10) instrument (magnitude of change in CPQ(8-10) scores) in the DCT group was greater (effect size >0.7) than in the CF group. The findings of this study show that dental caries treatment has an important impact on OHRQoL of children. The CPQ(8-10) was considered an acceptable instrument for longitudinal measurement of changes in OHRQoL.