141 - Age of First Visit and Oral Health Quality of Life

Objective: This project aims to examine the association between the age of a child's first dental visit and their Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) score.

Methods: A 22-item cross-sectional survey was distributed to guardians of healthy children aged 5 years and younger with an American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I and II status who presented for new patient exams. Data was collected through the REDCap secure web application using a paper-based survey chairside.

Results: In total, 117 guardians were included in the survey. The ECOHIS was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale and scores ranged from 0-52; higher values indicate poor oral health having a greater impact on the child and family. Those reporting their child’s first dental visit to be at or before age one had significantly lower ECOHIS scores than guardians who selected ages 2-3 and 4-5 years respectively. The median ECOHIS score for those at or before age one was 3 (IQR: 1-8) compared to 4 (IQR: 1-10) for 2-3 years and 10 (IQR:8-18) for ages 4 and older (P= 0.011).

Conclusion: Families and children who present for the first dental visit at a younger age have lower ECOHIS scores (healthier early childhood oral health quality of life) than those who present for the first dental visit later in life. This finding highlights the importance of educating guardians about the need for early first dental visits to mitigate the quality of life impact of poor oral health on the child and family.