Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
Determinant Factors of Dental Pain in Preschool Brazilian Children: Three-Year Cohort
Luana Viviam Moreira1, Laura Jordana Santos Lima1, Maria Eliza Consolação Soares1
1Department of Dentistry, School of Biological and Health Sciences, Universidade Federal dos Vales Do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
Background:
Dental pain is a public health problem that exerts a negative impact on the quality of life of children.
Aim:
To determine the causal factors of dental pain in preschool children.
Design:
A prospective cohort study was conducted with a random sample of 151 children aged from one to three and their parents/guardians for a period of 3 years in Brazil. Dental pain was investigated using the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B) at baseline and follow-up for the calculation of incidence. The participants were examined clinically for dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and traumatic dental injury was investigated using the criteria proposed by Andreasen. Sociodemographic, economic and food consumption characteristics were investigated during baseline and in the three-year follow-up. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Poisson regression analyses.
Results:
The incidence of dental pain was 14.6%. The incidence of caries (RR = 3.47; 95% CI: 1.05-11.47) and the absence of dental treatment (RR = 2.81; 95% CI: 1.33-5.97) were associated with a higher incidence of dental pain.
Conclusion:
The incidence of dental caries and the lack of dental treatment recommended at baseline were risk factors for a greater incidence of dental pain in preschool children.
Related Concept Videos
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or...
Development of the Oral Microbiota

