Objectives

To compare Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among 9-year-old children with excessive overjet (EO) to children with unilateral posterior crossbite (UPC) and children with normal occlusion (NO).

Materials and methods

The study sample sourced from 19 Public Dental Service Clinics in Sweden. Reported are baseline data originating from two controlled trials, one regarding UPC and the other focusing on EO. The NO children derive from the same trials. The UPC group comprised 93 children (45 boys and 48 girls), the EO group 71 children (36 boys and 35 girls), and the NO group 65 children (32 boys and 33 girls). In conjunction to a clinical examination, all children completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ_8-10) for evaluation of OHRQoL. The CPQ_8-10 comprises 25 questions grouped into four domains: oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional, and social well-being. Validated questions about pain in the jaws and face were also included.

Results

The total mean CPQ score was 5.1 for the UPC, 7.4 for the EO, and 4.4 for the NO group, showing a significant difference between the UPC and EO (P = 0.048) and between EO and NO group (P = 0.012). These differences remained when adjusted for the confounders’ caries, trauma, enamel defects, and headache. No difference between UPC and NO was found. The EO children also reported significantly higher scores in the domains emotional and social well-being (P = 0.039 and P = 0.012).

Limitations

The study would be strengthened if a longitudinal design had been performed.

Conclusion

Children with EO reported significantly lower OHRQoL compared to children with UPC or NO. The children generally reported low CPQ scores that imply an overall fairly good OHRQoL.