Anemia-Related Dental Caries Impacting Children’s Quality of Life

Turkey: Anemia-related dental caries can be highly detrimental to the quality of life of children and their parents, according to a study published in Medicina. Dental caries, especially early childhood caries (ECC), are considered a public health concern due to their impact on the quality of life of children and parents. 

This might be due to aspects such as pain, eating disorders, sleeping problems, taking time off from school, social embarrassment for children, and financial problems related to treatment fees and time off work for parents. To gain a better understanding of this, researchers from Near East University and the European University of Lefke in Northern Cyprus evaluated and measured the child’s oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).

Effect of Anemia on OHRQoL

The study conducted by the researchers aimed to assess the effect of anemia on OHRQoL in terms of children and parents. Various studies have mentioned the multifactorial etiology of ECC, including behavioral, socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors. However, the relationship between anemia and ECC has recently been highlighted. 

Particularly, the possible mechanism of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the development of dental caries is the potential inhibitory effect of iron on cariogenic microorganisms. The clinical and practical significance of iron and ferritin deficiency on dental caries was identified by the findings of a recent meta-analysis, which reported that children with caries had significantly lower levels of salivary and serum iron and ferritin.

Results of the Study

A total of 204 participants (child–parent pairs) were incorporated in the present study. A considerable number of children (81.5%) reported occasional or more frequent oral/dental pain. Secondly, the subscale scores were determined for child symptoms, child function, child psychology, self-image and social interaction, parental distress, and family function. Additionally, more than half of the parents (56.3%) reported that their child’s oral health problem had affected the family’s daily routine.

The research highlights the negative impact of anemia-related dental caries on the OHRQoL of children and parents. The study highlights the need for early detection and treatment of anemia to prevent dental caries and improve the quality of life of children and parents. The study also provides evidence of the usefulness of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and the Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) for evaluating the OHRQoL of children and parents.

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