Parental report of dental pain and discomfort in preschool children is associated with sleep disorders: a cross-sectional study in Brazilian families

Purpose To evaluate the prevalence of sleep disorders in Brazilian preschool children and its associations with parental report of dental pain and discomfort. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 604 Brazilian preschoolers (4-5 years old). Sleep disorders (SD) and the parental report of dental pain and discomfort (DPD) were evaluated using the Brazilian versions of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B), respectively. Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses with robust variance were performed to analyze the association between SDSC and DP. Results Prevalence of SD ranged from 7 to 21%. 7.9% of the children had DPD indicating the need for more invasive dental procedures (DDQ-B >= 5). Significant associations were found between DPD and the following SDSC domains: sleep hyperhidrosis (p = 0.024; PRa = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.04-1.83), disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (p < 0.001; PRa = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.15-1.73), parasomnias (p < 0.001; PRa = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.39-2.37), and sleep-wake transition disorders (p = 0.018; PRa = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.04-1.58). Children with higher prevalence of DPD presented 20% higher prevalence of SD than children lower prevalence of DPD (p = 0.039; PRa = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.01-1.44). Conclusion Preschool children with higher prevalence of DPD are more likely to have SD, such as hyperhidrosis, disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, parasomnias, and sleep-wake transition.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the prevalence of sleep disorders in Brazilian preschool children and found a high prevalence rate. It also found significant associations between parental report of dental pain and discomfort and sleep disorders in these children.