title: Impact of oral mucosal conditions on oral health-related quality of life in preschool children: a hierarchical approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of oral mucosal conditions on OHRQoL in preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out with a selected representative sample of 724 children aged 2-5 years and their parents/caregivers. Data were collected through interviews with parents/caregivers, who also answered the B-ECOHIS. A clinical oral examination was performed to determine oral mucosal conditions, dental caries, dental trauma, and malocclusion. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, the Mann-Whitney U-test and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models (P < 0.05, 95% CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of oral mucosal conditions was 50.7%, the most prevalent of which were melanotic macules (17.8%), oral ulcers (11.0%), Fordyce's spots (9.4%), geographic tongue (5.2%), fissured tongue (1.9%), median rhomboid glossitis (1.8%), and fistula (1.4%). In the final multivariate model, child with 5 years of age (RR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.08-2.38; P = 0.020), with presence of fistula (RR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.27-2.95; P = 0.002), and with dental caries (RR = 2.58; 95% CI: 2.00-3.35; P < 0.001) had a negative impact on children's OHRQoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Child with 5 years of age, presence of fistula, and dental caries were associated with a negative impact on the quality of life of preschool children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Gonçalves
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Vieira-Andrade
authors.forename: Paulo Antônio
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Martins-Júnior
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corrêa-Faria
authors.forename: Leandro Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Saul Martins
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Maria Letícia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ramos-Jorge
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life