Early Childhood, Major Suffering: Effects of Early Childhood Caries on Oral Health and Children’s Quality of Life

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is an aggressive form of dental caries affecting the primary dentition of preschool children. The consequences of ECC extend far beyond the oral cavity and impact the child’s general health and well-being. Parents’ quality of life is also affected, particularly because of daily stress, feelings of guilt regarding their child’s health status, and the professional and financial constraints related to dental care. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) on the oral health and overall well-being of children and their parents. This descriptive study was conducted in the Pediatric Dentistry Department of the University Hospital Center of Casablanca. It included a sample of 79 parent-child pairs. Inclusion criteria included children aged 6 years or younger, affected by ECC, and managed in the Pediatric Dentistry Department. Data were collected using two questionnaires. The first included 18 closed-ended questions and 8 open-ended questions, while the second, the Arabic version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS), assessed the impact of oral health on the quality of life of the child and parents through 13 questions. The results revealed that 46.8% of children were underweight. Among school-attending children, 90.2% had already missed school because of pain. In addition, 62% of children had difficulty sleeping, 36.7% avoided smiling or laughing in the presence of other children, and 41.8% had difficulty pronouncing certain words. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant impact of ECC on the quality of life of young children. It underlines the need to strengthen preventive actions from pregnancy onward. Simple and adapted advice should be communicated to parents at every dental visit or by any healthcare professional involved in early childhood care.