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.