The relation between oral impacts on daily performances and perceived clinical oral conditions in primary school children in the Ugu District, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

Few studies have related the common oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) impacts in children to perceived causes.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence, extent and intensity of oral impacts in relation to perceived clinical conditions in primary school children in South Africa.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of a random sample of children attending 26 schools. The Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (Child-OIDP) index, administered through individual face-to-face interviews, was used.

RESULTS

Sixty four per cent of the sample of 2610 children aged 11-13 years participated. 36.2% reported having one or more oral impacts on daily performances, 61.1% having one affected and 63.1% reporting impacts were of "very little" or "little" intensity. Eating was most commonly affected (22.8%) mainly related to decay (40%), followed by cleaning the teeth (17.2%). Toothache impacted on speaking (32.5%), whereas toothache (35.7%) and tooth decay (28.6%) influenced studying. Position of teeth impacted on smiling (19.2%), social (8.5%) and speaking (7.5%). Bleeding gums" and "tooth colour" affected cleaning teeth and smiling respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of oral impacts on the quality of life in this South African population of schoolchildren was relatively modest, as was the extent and intensity of the impacts, affecting mainly eating, cleaning of teeth and smiling.