Dental pain and associated factors in Brazilian preschoolers

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of dental pain in Brazilian preschoolers, as well as its associated factors, considering a representative sample of that population group in Brazil. METHODS Cross-sectional study that used the analytical data of the national oral health survey (SB Brazil) carried out in 2010. A representative sample of Brazilian preschoolers aged 5 years was considered. Interviews were carried out (answered by parents/tutors), as well as clinical examinations in children. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyzes were performed, described in odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (OR/95%CI). RESULTS 7,280 preschoolers were included. Of these, 1520 (21.1%) had had dental pain in the last 6 months. The chance of the occurrence of dental pain was higher among those who used dental services (1.51 / 1.02 to 2.23), with tooth decay (3.08 / 2.08 to 4.56), that realized the need for dental treatment (3.96 / 2.48 to 6.34), whose parents reported dissatisfaction by children with their teeth and mouth (1.47 / 1.04 to 2.10) and those who reported impact of oral problems on quality of life (5.76 / 3.90 to 8.49). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of dental pain among Brazilian preschool children was relatively high, being associated with the use of dental services and the normative and subjective oral health status.