Impact of two early treatment protocols for anterior dental crossbite on children’s quality of life

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the impact of two early treatment protocols for anterior dental crossbite on children’s quality of life. Methods: Thirty children, 8 to 10 years of age, with anterior dental crossbite, participated in this study. Individuals were divided into two groups: Group 1 - 15 children undergoing treatment with an upper removable appliance with digital springs; Group 2 - 15 children undergoing treatment with resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement bite pads on the lower first molars. Quality of life was evaluated using the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10), which contains four subscales: oral symptoms (OS), functional limitations (FL), emotional well-being (EW), and social well-being (SW). A higher score denotes a greater negative impact on children’s quality of life. Children answered the questionnaire before treatment (T1) and twelve months after orthodontic treatment onset (T2). Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed. Results: Children’s mean age was 9.07 ± 0.79 years in Group 1 and 9.00 ± 0.84 years in Group 2. For Group 1, the FL and EW subscale scores and the overall CPQ8-10 were significantly higher in T1 as compared to T2 (p= 0.004, p= 0.012 and p= 0.015, respectively). For Group 2, there were no statistically significant differences. The ANCOVA showed no significant difference regarding quality of life at T2 between groups, after controlling for quality of life measures at T1. Conclusions: The difference regarding the impact on quality of life between groups is not related to the protocol used

Prevalence and predictive factors of sleep bruxism in children with and without cognitive impairment

Studies have found a higher prevalence of sleep bruxism (SB) in individuals with cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with the clinical manifestation of SB in children with and without cognitive impairment. The sample was made up of 180 individuals: Group 1 - without cognitive impairment; Group 2 - with Down syndrome; Group 3 - with cerebral palsy. Malocclusions were assessed based on the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI); lip competence was assessed based on Ballard's description. The bio-psychosocial characteristics were assessed via a questionnaire and clinical exam. Statistical analysis involved the chi-square test (p < 0.05) and multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of bruxism was 23%. There were no significant differences between the groups (p = 0.970). Individuals with sucking habits (OR [95% CI] = 4.44 [1.5 to 13.0]), posterior crossbite (OR [95% CI] = 3.04 [1.2 to 7.5]) and tooth wear facets (OR [95% CI] = 3.32 [1.2 to 8.7]) had a greater chance of exhibiting SB. Sucking habits, posterior crossbite and tooth wear facets were identified as being directly associated with the clinical manifestations of bruxism