Through the eye of the beholder : oral health- related quality of life of children with traumatic dental injuries during the Syrian Crisis

Abstract EN

Objective: Health care providers in emergency settings encounter emotional issues in treating traumatic dental injuries TDIs which may have a significant negative impact on the quality of life.

Assessing OHRQoL of children with TDIs, in emergency, promote a shift from traditional dental management to a more supportive care that focuses on a person’s social and emotional status and physical functioning in which appropriate health care and optimal outcomes can be obtained.

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of TDIs on the quality of life of 7to16-year-old Syrian school children and to test whether treatment of TDI will improve their OHRQoL.

Basic research design:A case-control study was carried out involving 147children aged 7 to 16 years attending the Department of Pediatric Dentistry in Damascus University.

Andreasen classification was adopted for TDI diagnosis.

CPQ11-14 instrument was utilized to assess OHRQoL.

Results: Findings of this study revealed significant differences in OHRQoL items before and after treatment of participating children.

There were no statistically significant differences between healthy children and those who were treated with TDI in regard to the overall OHRQoL (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: OHRQoL was significantly improved in children with TDIs after treatment.

Oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional and social well-being were similar to healthy children.

Health professionals in Syria should put efforts to make war less damaging for children and their parents.

Dentistry during the crisis goes beyond filling and drilling of injured teeth to a moral commitment within a supportive and caring context