Parental Perceptions of Oral Health Related Quality of Life for Children that Receive Care on Give Kids a Smile Day

摘要

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life for patients treated at Give Kids a Smile. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a 25-question survey regarding their child’s oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), with answers ranked on a 0 to 4 point scale. Results: A total of 78 questionnaires were completed, with the mean score of 5.19. Conclusions: Give Kids a Smile was created to treat children with unmet oral healthcare needs, therefore it was hypothesized that the OHRQoL for the children treated would be negatively impacted and thus this score high. This was not demonstrated in the current study and these findings could be due to a variety of factors, including relying on the parent to report the child’s symptoms as well as low oral health literacy for parents completing the questionnaires.