The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of toothaches and to evaluate its effects on the daily lives of adults living in an industrialised region of southeastern Brazil. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 744 individuals. The variables related to toothache were grouped into three components: access to dental service, pain severity, and social/functional impacts. The present study found that 68.0% of the subjects had limited access to oral health care, 39.7% presented high toothache severity, and 47.3% reported that toothache greatly affected their daily lives. Nervousness (87.2%) and chewing difficulty (72.6%) were the most commonly reported toothache-related effects. Through correspondence analysis, four groups with separate profiles for toothache and associated factors were identified. Two groups reported greater effects of toothaches in their daily lives. One group consisted of individuals who had less access to dental services (women and individuals who were multiracial, married, had a middle school education, or a low family income). The other group consisted of individuals who reported a high toothache severity and high degree of social/functional impacts (individuals who were 40 to 44 years old, married or widowed, black or multiracial, and had a middle school education). The other two groups were those whose daily lives were less affected by toothaches. One group consisted of individuals who had greater access to dental services (men and individuals who were divorced, had a college degree, or had incomes greater than R$ 300.01). The final group consisted of individuals who had low toothache severity and a low degree of associated social/functional impacts (individuals who were 35 to 39 years old, white, single, or had a high school education).
References
[1]
International Association for the Study of Pain. Available online: http://www.iasp-pain.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home (accessed on 29 April 2012).
[2]
Nardi, A.; Crosato, A.M.; Biazevic, M.G.H. Orofacial pain, absenteeism and quality of life of workers in southern Brazil, 2003. J. Dent. 2006, 35, 81–87.
[3]
Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases; WHO Technical Report Series, No. 916 (TRS 916); World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2003.
[4]
Gomes, A.S.; Abegg, C. The impact of oral health on daily performance of municipal waste disposal workers in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Cad. Saude Publica 2007, 23, 1707–1714, doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2007000700023.
[5]
Sheiham, A. Oral Health,General Health and Quality of Life. Available online: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/83/9/editorial30905html/en/index.html (accessed on 29 April 2012).
[6]
Macfarlane, T.V.; Blinkhorn, A.S.; Davies, R.M.; Kincey, J.; Worthington, H.V. Oro-facial pain in the community: Prevalence and associated impact. Comm. Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 2002, 30, 56–60.
[7]
Roncalli, A.G. Brasil. The SB Brasil 2010 Project: A key strategy for developing an oral health surveillance model. Cad. Saúde Pública 2011, 27, 4–5, doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2011000100001.
[8]
Shepherd, M.A.; Nadanovsky, P.; Sheiham, A. The prevalence and impact ofdental pain in 8 year-old school children in Harrow, England. Br. Dent. J. 1999, 187, 38–41.
[9]
Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Available online: http://www.ibge.gov.br/english/ (accessed on 8 December 2011).
[10]
Adulyanon, S.; Vourapukjaru, J.; Sheiham, A. Oral impacts affecting daily performance in a low dental disease Thai population. Comm. Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 1996, 24, 385–389, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0528.1996.tb00884.x.
[11]
Kuhnen, M.; Peres, M.A.; Masiero, A.V.; Peres, K.G. Toothache and associated factors in Brazilian adults: A cross-sectional population-based study. BMC Oral Health 2009, doi:10.1186/1472-6831-9-7.
[12]
Bastos, J.L.; Gigante, D.P.; Peres, K.G. Toothache prevalence and associated factors: A population based study in southern Brazil. Oral Dis. 2008, 14, 320–326, doi:10.1111/j.1601-0825.2007.01379.x.
[13]
Okunseri, C.; Hodges, J.S.; Born, D. Self-reported toothache experience in an adult population in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeéria. Oral Health Prev. Dent. 2005, 3, 119–125.
[14]
Paul, A.K.H.; Croucher, R.; Marcenes, W.S. Prevalence estimates and associated factors for dental pain: A review. Oral Health Prev. Dent. 2003, 1, 209–219.
[15]
Riley, J.L.; Gilbert, G.H. Orofacial pain symptoms: An interaction between age and sex. Pain 2001, 90, 245–256, doi:10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00408-5.
[16]
Mendoza-Sassi, R.; Béria, J.U.; Barros, A.J.D. Outpatient health service utilization and associated factors: A population-based study. Rev. Saúde Pública 2003, 37, 372–378.
[17]
Alexandre, G.C.; Nadanovsky, P.; Lopes, C.S.; Faerstein, E. Prevalence and factors associated with dental pain that prevents the performance of routine tasks by civil servants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cad. Saúde Pública 2006, 22, 1073–1078, doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2006000500020.
[18]
McGrath, C.M.; Bedi, R.; Gilthorpe, M.S. Oral health related quality of life-views of the public in the United Kingdom. Community Dent. Health 2000, 17, 3–7.
[19]
Lacerda, J.T.; Ribeiro, J.D.; Ribeiro, D.M.; Traebert, J. Prevalence of orofacial pain and its impact on the oral health-related quality of life of textile industries workers of Laguna, SC, Brazil. Ciênc. Saúde Coletiva 2011, 16, 4275–4282, doi:10.1590/S1413-81232011001100033.
[20]
Mashoto, K.O.; ？str？m, A.N.; David, J.; Masalu, J.R. Dental pain, oral impacts and perceived need for dental treatment in Tanzanian school students: A cross-sectional study. Health Qual. Life Outcomes 2009, 7, 70–73, doi:10.1186/1477-7525-7-70.
[21]
Locker, D. Oral health and quality of life. Oral Health Prev. Dent. 2004, 2 Suppl 1, 247–253.
[22]
Massalu, J.R.; Astr？m, N.A. Social and behavioral correlates of oral quality of life studied among university students in Tanzania. Acta Odontol. Scand. 2002, 60, 353–359, doi:10.1080/000163502762667388.
[23]
Dao, T.T.; LeResche, L. Gender differences in pain. J. Orofac. Pain 2000, 14, 169–195.
[24]
Martins, A.M.E.B.; Haikal, D.S.; Pereira, S.M.; Barreto, S.M. Uso de servi？os odontológicos por rotina entre idosos brasileiros: Projeto SB Brasil. Cad. Saúde Pública 2008, 24, 1651–1666.
[25]
Yee, R.; Sheiham, A. The burden of restorative dental treatment for children in third world countries. Int. Dent. J. 2002, 52, 1–9, doi:10.1111/j.1875-595X.2002.tb00589.x.
[26]
Baldani, M.H.; Brito, W.H.; Lawder, J.A.C.; Mendes, Y.B.E.; Silva, F.F.M.; Antunes, J.L.F. Individual determinants of dental care utilization among low-income adult and elderly individuals. Rev. Bras. Epidemiol. 2010, 13, 150–162, doi:10.1590/S1415-790X2010000100014.
[27]
Barros, A.J.D.; Bertoldi, A.D. Inequalities in utilization and access to dental services: A nationwide assessment. Ciênc. Saúde Coletiva 2002, 7, 709–717.
