Oral health-related quality of life and factors associated with sleep bruxism in Brazilian preschool children: comparative cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and factors associated with sleep bruxism (SB) in preschool children through a comparative cross-sectional study.

Methods: One hundred thirty-five preschool children (27 with SB and 108 without SB) were randomly selected from primary care units in the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The groups were matched for age, sex, and family income at a proportion of 1:4. Parents/guardians answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic and gestational characteristics as well as information on the child's health, and breastfeeding. The Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS) was used to investigate the impact of oral problems on the OHRQoL of the preschool children, for which higher scores denote a greater negative impact. Oral clinical examinations were performed for the diagnosis of dental caries (dmft index), traumatic dental injuries, and malocclusion. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics as well as unadjusted and adjusted conditional logistic regression models (95%CI, p < 0.05).

Results: The final adjusted logistic regression model revealed that children who resided in rural areas (OR = 3.75; 95%CI: 1.41-9.95; p = 0.008), those with cohabitating parents (OR = 3.99; 95%CI: 1.21-13.20; p = 0.023), and those with a Baume type II lower arch (OR = 3.35; 95%CI: 1.25-8.98; p = 0.016) were more likely to have SB.

Conclusion: The occurrence of SB was greater in children who resided in rural areas, those with cohabitating parents, and those with a Baume type II lower arch. OHRQoL was not associated with the outcome.