Association between dental conditions, sliver diamine fluoride application, parental satisfaction, and oral health-related quality of life of preschool children

Objectives: To investigate the associations between dental conditions, sliver diamine fluoride (SDF) application, parental satisfaction, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children. Materials and methods: In a clinical trial conducted in Hong Kong, preschool children who had carious lesions into dentine were randomly assigned to receive an application of SDF solution or placebo on their caries lesions 10 weeks before they received restorations. Additionally, a random sample of caries-free children was also recruited. Parents of the study children rated their satisfaction with their child’s teeth using a 5-point scale (5 = very satisfied, 1 = very dissatisfied) 10 weeks after SDF or placebo application. Besides, the Chinese version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (C-ECOHIS) was used to assess the children’s OHRQoL. Results: There were 127, 133, and 154 children in the SDF, placebo, and caries-free groups, respectively. The parents whose child had 4 or more decayed teeth reported lower satisfaction scores (mean = 2.0 ± 0.7) with their child’s dental health status compared with those of parents whose child had fewer (mean = 2.6 ± 0.9) or no (mean = 3.7 ± 0.7) decayed teeth (p < 0.001). These parents also reported higher C-ECOHIS scores. However, there was no significant difference in parental satisfaction and children’s OHRQoL between the SDF and placebo groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In this study population, parental satisfaction and children’s OHRQoL were associated with children’s dental caries status but not with SDF application. Clinical relevance: This study provides valuable information about the factors, including SDF application, that can influence parental satisfaction and OHRQoL of preschool children.