Association between early childhood caries and oral health-related quality of life using ecohis instrument

Dental caries is an oral health problem that can develop early in preschool children, affecting their quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between caries status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in preschool children at Grogol Utara, Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta Selatan. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 200 children aged 3-5 years. Dental caries status was assessed via clinical examination. OHRQoL was assessed using the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) by interviewing a total of 165 mothers. The results of the ECOHIS were used to represent the OHRQoL. A significant difference was seen between caries status and OHRQoL regarding the impact on both children and their families (P < .05). In addition, there was a significant difference between caries free and severe early childhood caries in all domains except the self-image/social interaction domain and the overall ECOHIS score (P < .05). We found no significant difference between caries free and early childhood caries in all domains and overall ECOHIS score (P ≥ 0.05). Caries severity in preschool children had a negative impact on the OHRQoL of the children and their families.