Oral conditions and trouble sleeping among preschool children

Aim To investigate the association between oral conditions and trouble sleeping among preschool children. Subject and methods A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of 837 children aged 3-5 years. Dental caries, traumatic dental injury (TDI) and malocclusion were determined through clinical examinations. The DMFT index and the classification proposed by Andreasen et al. (2007) were used to diagnose dental caries and TDI, respectively. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire about socioeconomic indicators, child's oral health, child's visits to the dentist and history of toothache. They were also questioned as to whether their children had trouble sleeping due to dental reasons (dependent variable). Descriptive analysis and hierarchically adjusted logistic regression models were used (p < 0.05, 95 % CI). Results Trouble sleeping was significantly more prevalent among children whose parents/caregivers perceived their child's oral health to be poor (PR = 2.81; 95 % CI: 1.26-6.30), those who had been to the dentist (PR = 3.02; 95 % CI: 1.53-6.00), those with a history of toothache (PR = 23.75; 95 % CI: 8.00-70.60), those with high severity of caries (six or more cavitated lesions; PR = 3.13; 95 % CI: 1.16-8.42) and those with malocclusion (PR = 2.31; 95 % CI: 1.08-5.00). No association was found between trouble sleeping and TDI. Conclusion Parents/caregivers' perception of poor oral health status in their children, history of visit to dentist, history of toothache as well as the severity of dental caries and malocclusion were associated with trouble sleeping in preschool children.