Ana Alvear Miquilena

Background: Although toothbrushing is widely recognized as a cornerstone of caries prevention, oral hygiene has traditionally been assessed using self-reported frequency or categorical plaque indices. Evidence regarding the relationship between objectively quantified brushing efficacy and cumulative caries severity remains limited. This study evaluated the association between a quantitative brushing efficacy index and dental caries severity among schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 200 schoolchildren examined during a community dental campaign in 2025. Caries was assessed using Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth indices following Word Health Organization criteria. Severe caries was defined as Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth ≥ 5. Oral hygiene was measured using a brushing efficacy index, expressed as the percentage of biofilm removed after supervised brushing. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests and logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex. Results: Caries prevalence was 95.5%, with a mean Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth of 4.99 ± 2.96. Severe caries was observed in 49% of participants. No statistically significant differences were found across tertiles of brushing efficacy (χ² (2) = 2.18; p = 0.336). In regression analysis, each 10% increase in brushing efficacy was not significantly associated with severe caries (adjusted OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.81–1.03; p = 0.154). Conclusions: Dental caries prevalence was high in this population, and nearly half of the participants presented severe caries. Quantitative brushing efficacy was not significantly associated with severe dental caries after adjustment for age and sex.

Background: Although toothbrushing is widely recognized as a cornerstone of caries prevention, oral hygiene has traditionally been assessed using self-reported frequency or categorical plaque indices. Evidence regarding the relationship between objectively quantified brushing efficacy and cumulative caries severity remains limited. This study evaluated the association between a quantitative brushing efficacy index and dental caries severity among schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 200 schoolchildren examined during a community dental campaign in 2025. Caries was assessed using Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth indices following Word Health Organization criteria. Severe caries was defined as Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth ≥5. Oral hygiene was measured using a brushing efficacy index, expressed as the percentage of biofilm removed after supervised brushing. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests and logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex. Results: Caries prevalence was 95.5%, with a mean Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth of 4.99 ± 2.96. Severe caries was observed in 49% of participants. No statistically significant differences were found across tertiles of brushing efficacy (χ² (2) =2.18; p=0.336). In regression analysis, each 10% increase in brushing efficacy was not significantly associated with severe caries (adjusted OR=0.92; 95% CI: 0.81–1.03; p=0.154), although a protective trend was observed. Conclusions: This population exhibited an extremely high burden of dental caries. Quantitative brushing efficacy showed a non-significant protective trend, suggesting that in high-risk contexts, caries severity is influenced by multifactorial determinants beyond isolated oral hygiene performance.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) comprise a heterogeneous group of musculoskeletal conditions that may manifest during childhood and adolescence. However, standardized information regarding TMD-related clinical findings in pediatric populations remains limited because of methodological heterogeneity and the inconsistent application of validated diagnostic protocols. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize clinical findings related to temporomandibular disorders in schoolchildren and to explore their potential contribution to individualized assessment strategies within the framework of personalized pediatric oral healthcare. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 1052 schoolchildren recruited from participating educational institutions. All participants underwent a standardized clinical examination that included assessment of masticatory muscle tenderness, temporomandibular joint tenderness, joint sounds, pain intensity, and perceived stress using an adapted pediatric DC/TMD protocol. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Associations between categorical variables were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with pain. Results: Pain during clinical examination was identified in 111 participants (10.6%; 95% CI: 8.8–12.6%), whereas temporomandibular joint sounds and myofascial pain were detected in 1.4% and 0.3% of participants, respectively. Most pain was classified as mild, and the masseter muscle was the most frequently affected anatomical site. Increasing age and female sex were independently associated with pain. Compared with children aged 4–6 years, participants aged 10–12 years (adjusted OR = 9.61; 95% CI: 2.22–41.51) and 13–16 years (adjusted OR = 35.49; 95% CI: 8.59–146.61) showed significantly greater odds of pain. Female participants also demonstrated higher odds of pain than males (adjusted OR = 7.49; 95% CI: 3.68–15.21; all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Clinically detectable TMD-related findings were generally uncommon among schoolchildren aged 4–16 years and were predominantly mild and muscular. Increasing age and female sex were independently associated with pain, emphasizing the importance of demographic factors in the early clinical expression of TMD. Standardized pediatric clinical examination protocols may facilitate early identification of TMD-related findings and support preventive strategies during childhood and adolescence. These findings support the implementation of individualized clinical assessment strategies for early identification of children at risk of temporomandibular disorders, contributing to personalized preventive and therapeutic approaches in pediatric oral healthcare.

The main objective of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between body mass index (BMI) and the presence and number of dental caries in the analyzed participants. In the oral cavity, various modulating factors can result in the presence of dental caries; moreover, this condition is considered to be an infectious-contagious disease that exhibits a broad incidence. Materials and methods: A total of 2,689 children were recruited for this study, with 314 children aged 5–14 years (95% confidence level margin of error of 0.5%). The participants received dental care in 2024 in Quito, Ecuador. Assessments of height and weight were performed, along with the calculation of the BMI and nutritional diagnosis. The patients were classified as obese, overweight, normal, malnourished, or severely malnourished. An odontogram was performed; moreover, the cariogenic index CPO-D (measuring decayed, lost, or filled teeth) was performed on permanent teeth, whereas the ceo-d (measuring decayed, extracted, or filled teeth) was performed on primary teeth. The descriptive analysis revealed a high prevalence of dental caries in all the BMI categories, with percentages ranging from 70.2% in normal-weight children to 84.6% in underweight children. Specifically, children with obesity exhibited a prevalence of dental caries of 76%, whereas those who were overweight exhibited a prevalence of 75.4%. These findings suggest that there is a high burden of dental caries across all nutritional groups, thus reinforcing the notion that both undernutrition and excess weight may be associated with an increased risk of dental disease. This study revealed that there is a high burden of dental caries across all nutritional groups, particularly with respect to the association between BMI and the presence and number of caries. Diagnosing dental caries is a mandatory diagnostic process in dentistry; however, correlating with diseases should be a priority for dentists, applying it mandatorily in children and adolescents. We present this small analysis that demonstrates correlation with BMI. Hidalgo AC, Miquilena AA, Farias DQ, et al. Correlation of Dental Caries with Body Mass Index in Children Aged 5–14 Years: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2026;19(5):624–629.

Introduction: Oral health in children is essential for their overall well-being, influencing nutrition, language development, and self-esteem. Dental caries represent one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in childhood. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between parents’ self-perceived knowledge of oral health and the presence of dental caries in their children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 1052 children aged 4 to 14 years and their parents in Quito, Ecuador. Parents completed validated questionnaires (OHIP-14, OIDP, CPQ, and OHQoL-UK) to assess their self-perceived oral health knowledge. Clinical examinations were performed to detect cavitated carious lesions. Statistical analysis included Chi-square tests and odds ratio (OR) calculations. Results: A significant association was found between lower parental knowledge and higher prevalence of dental caries in children (Chi-square = 16.245, p = 0.0062; OR = 18.18, 95% CI [1.80–183.75]). Most caries cases were found in children whose parents rated their knowledge as “good” or “very good,” suggesting a gap between perceived and actual knowledge. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for targeted educational strategies that address both knowledge and behavioral practices in oral health, especially among parents with low self-perceived knowledge.

The prevalence of temporomandibular disorders during childhood and adolescence reported until 2019 was between 7 and 68%. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in children. This study, registered in The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022378908), assessed the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in children and adolescents through the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. Information was restricted based on the age and language of publication. In total, 985 records were identified through databases (EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) and 45 through grey literature sources (SciELO, Google Scholar, and Latindex). After removing duplicates and irrelevant records, 285 studies were screened, of which 32 had their full text assessed. Eight were included for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The prevalence of muscle pain ranged from 0% to 31%; arthralgia ranged from 0.8% to 3.5%; disc displacement with reduction ranged from 0.4% to 14.4%; disc displacement without reduction ranged from 0% to 0.3%; osteoarthritis ranged from 0% to 0.6%; and osteoarthritis (in another context) ranged from 0% to 2.2%. This review highlights the varying prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in children and adolescents, with muscle pain as the most common symptom. Despite advancements in diagnostic criteria, gaps in imaging and psychological evaluation persist.