impact of poor oral hygiene on oral health-related quality of life of 4-6-year-old children

impact of poor oral hygiene on oral health-related quality of life of 4-6-year-old children

according to the world health organization, oral health-related quality of life is defined as “a person’s perceptions of their position in life according to their culture, goals, expectations, standards, and priorities”. proper oral hygiene has an important role in prevention of oral diseases. assessment of ohrqol is especially important in young children because their oral hygiene can affect their overall growth and development, self-esteem, social activities and learning abilities. poor oral hygiene can also affect the quality of life.

researchers have used various measurements to assess the oral health-related quality of life, a few of which are designed for children under the age of 6. currently, the early childhood oral health impact scale (ecohis) is one of the appropriate tools to assess the oral health related quality of life in children due to their inability to read and write. in recent years, many studies have been conducted on the impact of oral health on the quality of life, especially in young children.

they have reported that poor oral hygiene has a negative impact on ecohis score. yet, little is known about the impact of children’s oral hygiene on their ohrqol. this systematic review was conducted to assess the impact of poor oral hygiene on oral health-related quality of life of 4-6-year-old children. results from this review support the need for behavioral interventions for poor oral hygiene in children. this could help to improve their oral and general life quality.