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Oral health status in victims of child abuse: a case–control study
Author(s) -
Duda João Gilberto,
Biss Stephanye Pinto,
Bertoli Fernanda Mara de Paiva,
Bruzamolin Carolina Dea,
Pizzatto Eduardo,
Souza Juliana Feltrin,
Losso Estela Maris
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1111/ipd.12254
Subject(s) - medicine , odds ratio , permanent teeth , logistic regression , dentistry , child abuse , demography , poison control , injury prevention , environmental health , sociology
Background Few studies have evaluated the oral health status of children with a history of maltreatment. Aim This case–control study evaluated oral health in children who were victims of abuse and in child protective services in Curitiba, Brazil. Design One hundred twenty‐two children who were victims of abuse and 240 children with no history of abuse (mean ages, 8.56 and 8.24 years, respectively) were included in the study. Dental caries were assessed according to the Decayed, Missing, or Filled Teeth index (dmft index and DMFT index) by two calibrated examiners. The presence of anterior open bite and posterior crossbite was recorded. Data were analyzed using bivariate and adjusted odds ratios using a multivariate logistic regression model analyses. Results In the case group, we found a higher DMFT index ( P < 0.001) and a significantly higher prevalence of missing primary teeth ( P = 0.04), untreated decayed permanent teeth ( P < 0.001), filled permanent teeth ( P < 0.001), and anterior open bite ( P = 0.04). Children who were victims of abuse presented an odds ratio of 6.48 (95% CI : 3.52–11.95) for caries in permanent teeth and an odds ratio of 2.28 (95% CI : 1.04–4.99) for open bite. Conclusion Victims of child abuse had a worse oral health status, demonstrating the need to establish special policies for oral healthcare for this population.