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Maltreatment and Dental Trauma in Preschool Children: A Cohort Study
Renata Uliana Posser1, Francine Dos Santos Costa1,2, Flávio Fernando Demarco1,2
1Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
Insights
This study found no link between child maltreatment and dental trauma in young children. Further research is needed to understand the oral health impacts of child abuse.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Child Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child maltreatment (CM) is linked to poor childhood oral health.
- Limited research exists on CM and dental trauma (DT) in primary teeth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between child maltreatment and dental trauma at age 4.
Main Methods:
- 4275 children from the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study were analyzed.
- Child maltreatment was assessed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire.
- Dental trauma was evaluated using UK Child Health Survey criteria.
Main Results:
- 11.4% of children experienced child maltreatment; 20.2% had dental trauma.
- Adjusted analyses revealed no significant association between dental trauma and child maltreatment.
Conclusions:
- This large study found no association between dental trauma in primary teeth and child maltreatment.
Background:
Child maltreatment (CM) has been associated with adverse oral health outcomes during childhood. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between CM and dental trauma (DT) in the primary dentition.
Aim:
To evaluate the association between CM and DT at 4 years of age.
Design:
The sample comprised 4275 children from the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, southern Brazil. Overall CM from birth to age 4, as well as specific types of maltreatment ("physical abuse," "sexual abuse," "emotional abuse," "neglect," and "custodial interference"), were assessed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, completed by mothers when the children were 4 years old. DT was assessed at age 4 using the criteria of the UK Child Health Survey (1993). Bivariate analyses were conducted using the chi-square test, and crude and adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression models. Confounding variables with p < 0.250 in the crude analysis were included in the adjusted models.
Results:
Of the 3645 children evaluated, 11.4% had been exposed to some form of CM, and 20.2% presented with DT. In the adjusted analysis, no statistically significant association was found between DT and overall or specific types of CM.
Conclusions:
In this large-sample study, no association was found between DT in the primary dentition and CM.
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