Oral issues and childhood stress in eight-to-ten-year-old schoolchildren: a case-control study

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether oral problems, harmful oral habits, and sociodemographic factors are associated with the occurrence of stress in schoolchildren.

A case-control study nested within a cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 375 schoolchildren eight to ten years of age in the city of Diamantina, Brazil. The case group (with childhood stress) and control group (without childhood stress) were matched for age and sex at a 1:4 ratio (75 cases to 300 controls). Data collection involved the self-administration of a questionnaire by parents/caregivers addressing sociodemographic characteristics and the child's history of harmful oral habits. The children answered the Child Stress Scale (CSS) and underwent a clinical oral examination to determine the presence/absence of dental caries, malocclusion, and traumatic dental injuries. Data analysis involved the calculation of frequencies, the chi-square test, and conditional logistic regression (95% CI; p ≤ 0.05).

The final adjusted conditional logistic regression model showed that dental caries (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01 - 3.14, p = 0.044) and biting objects (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.02 - 3.22, p = 0.041) remained associated with stress in the schoolchildren analysed.

The present results showed that children with dental caries and the habit of biting objects were more likely to have childhood stress.

The study allows paediatric dentists to expand their knowledge with regards to the influence of oral problems and harmful habits on the occurrence of childhood stress and serves as a guide for decision-making related to oral problems in schoolchildren.