Quality of Life Assessment of Children with Early Childhood Caries in a Brazilian City

Objectives: The aim of the research was to investigate the impact of ECC on children’s quality of life and find out how it affects their routine, through a questionnaire applied to parents. Methods: For this assessment, the Impact Scale on Oral Health in Early Childhood (ECOIHS) have been used. The sample consisted of 150 children aged 2 to 5 years enrolled in daycare centers and public schools in the municipality of Massapê-CE-Brazil. The questionnaire was answered by parents and guardians of children diagnosed with ECC. The analysis of the questionnaire was performed using SPSS software version 17.0 and R statistics 3.2. Results: In the results, with regard to toothache and difficulty in eating and drinking, a prevalence of 85.48% was found with a statistical significance of 5%. 40.7% of family members considered themselves guilty at some level of intensity by ECC in children. Correlating family income with the financial impact of a dental problem and / or treatment, a prevalence of 96.35% was observed with a 95% confidence interval, demonstrating that the lower the family income, the greater the financial impact. Conclusion: ECC interferes with the child’s quality of life, thus negatively affecting his routine, as well as that of his family.