The impact of multiple caries and its treatment by multiple exodontias under GA, on quality of life of children and their families.

Aims To quantify the impact of Early Childhood Caries on the quality of life of life of children referred to the Day Care Unit, in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at Leeds Dental Institute (LDI), for extraction of decayed teeth under general anaesthesia. Another aim is to study the change in the quality of life of those children and their families after treatment under general anaesthesia. Materials and methods Parents of 3-7 year old, paediatric patients, attending the ODU at LDI for extraction of carious teeth under general anaesthesia, were given the Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (COHRQoL) questionnaire. The COHRQoL questionnaire has two components: the Parent-Caregivers Perceptions questionnaire (P-CPQ) and Family Impact Scale (FIS). The children then were reassessed, 6- 8 weeks later, following completion of treatment under general anaesthesia, using the same questionnaire. Parents answered the follow-up questionnaire by phone Results Showed statistically significant changes in the scores of the P-CPQ and FIS (p<0.05). The effect size was medium (0.32) in the social wellbeing domain of the P-CPQ and large in all of the other domains of both P-CPQ and Family Impact Scale (FIS). Conclusions Early Childhood Caries has a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life of both, children and their families. The provision of dental treatment under general anaesthesia for young children with Early Childhood Caries resulted in substantial improvement to their oral health-related quality of life as reported by their parents.