Sleep Problems, Early Childhood Caries, and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: An Approach Using Structural...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Early childhood caries (ECC) is a complex dental issue with multiple contributing factors.
• Understanding the interplay between ECC, sleep disturbances, and quality of life is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing research highlights the multifactorial nature of ECC, necessitating a comprehensive approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a structural model investigating the associations between sleep problems, ECC, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).
• To identify potential mediating factors in the relationship between ECC and sleep disturbances.
• To quantify the impact of ECC and associated pain on children's and families' OHRQoL.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 575 children aged 3-5 years.
• ECC assessment using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-II).
• Sleep problems evaluated via the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire; OHRQoL measured using the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS).
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus software (version 8.6) for data analysis.

Main Results:

• More severe ECC stages correlated with increased dental pain (β=0.712, p<0.001).
• Dental pain was significantly associated with more disturbed sleep patterns (β=0.723, p<0.001).
• Both ECC and dental pain demonstrated a negative impact on the child's (β=0.208, p<0.001; β=0.750, p<0.001) and family's (β=0.347, p<0.001; β=0.612, p<0.001) OHRQoL.

Conclusions:

• An indirect relationship exists between ECC and children's sleep, with dental pain acting as a key mediator.
• ECC and dental pain significantly reduce both the child's and the family's oral health-related quality of life.
• Findings underscore the importance of managing ECC and associated pain to improve children's sleep and overall well-being.