title: Clinical consequences of untreated dental caries and toothache in preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to assess the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries related to the occurrence of toothache among Brazilian preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 540 two- to five-year-olds underwent a clinical oral examination for the assessment of early childhood caries (ECC) using the dmft (decayed, missing and filled primary teeth) index and pufa (carious lesions with pulpal involvement [p], ulceration of the mucosa due to root fragments [u], fistula [f], and abscess [a]) index to score consequences of dental caries in soft tissues. Parents/guardians were asked to answer a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and toothache experience in the children. Descriptive analysis and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of ECC and pufa (≥1) was approximately 50 percent and 12 percent, respectively. A total of 25 percent of the children had toothache experience. Toothache was significantly associated with: an older age (prevalence ratio [PR]=3.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.09-6.58); carious lesions with pulpal involvement (PR=3.93; 95% CI=3.09-5.01); ulceration of the mucosa due to root fragments (PR=2.73; 95% CI=1.52-4.89); fistula (PR=2.91; 95% CI=1.89-4.49); and abscess (PR=4.43; 95% CI=3.78-5.19).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Toothache experience in preschool children was associated with untreated cavitated dentin lesions and their consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayara Kelly Lyrio
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian Capanema
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Luciano Pimenta
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Brazil.
authors.forename: Leandro Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Brazil. mlramosjorge@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Leticia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ramos-Jorge
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, University of Vale do Rio Verde (UNICOR), Brazil.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos-Jorge
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003751:Dental Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000473:pathology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology; D014098:Toothache / Q000453:epidemiology*