Condições de saúde bucal e impacto na qualidade de vida de pré-escolares de uma escola localizada em um bairro de alta vulnerabilidade social da cidade de Governador Valadares: a pesquisa interfaceada à extensão para ações direcionadas à realidade local.

Abstract

The oral health of preschoolers contributes to and is important for their healthy development. However, oral health problems such as tooth decay, trauma, and malocclusions can cause imbalances and impact the well-being and quality of life of children and their families, disproportionately affecting populations from different social backgrounds. Educational and preventive oral health interventions are effective for preschoolers, as this is the period during which physical and cognitive development occurs, establishing habits with great potential to be sustained throughout life. In this sense, outreach projects carried out in schools are an important means of equipping families, children, and educators, fostering important networks for their families and the community. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical oral health profile and its impact on the quality of life of preschoolers assisted by an outreach project in oral health education, as well as to propose measures tailored to the local situation based on the results obtained. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Professora Simoni Maria da Cruz Municipal School, located in the Santos Dumont II neighborhood of Governador Valadares. The study population consisted of preschoolers aged 3 to 6 enrolled in the school. The presence of caries, malocclusion, and trauma were analyzed. Family sociodemographic data and the child's oral habits were also assessed through a questionnaire completed by parents/guardians. To assess oral health-related quality of life, the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS) was used. Data were organized and coded for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 25.0. The sample consisted of 113 preschoolers, 54 (47.8%) males and 59 (52.2%) females. The total ECOHIS score averaged 6.89 (±8.38). The following variables were associated with the impact on quality of life: Age (p = 0.006), Caries (considering the worst condition) (p = 0.00), and Presence of general caries (p = 0.000). The following variables showed a positive correlation with the impact on quality of life: Number of decayed teeth (p = 0.000), Number of restored teeth (p = 0.029), and Number of missing teeth (p = 0.025). The results of this study demonstrated that factors related to oral health, such as the presence of caries and the number of decayed, filled, and missing teeth, negatively influenced the quality of life of the preschoolers evaluated.