The Effect of Removable Space Maintainer Use on Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

Children using removable space maintainers report worse oral health-related quality of life compared to healthy peers, affecting their emotional and social well-being.

Contribution

This study is the first to compare OHRQoL in children using RSMs with caries-free controls using a validated questionnaire.

Findings

Children using RSMs had significantly higher CPQ8–10 scores, indicating poorer OHRQoL.

RSM users showed worse outcomes in all subscales: oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional, and social well-being.

No significant differences were found between regular and irregular RSM users in OHRQoL domains.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children aged 8–10 years using removable space maintainers (RSMs) and to compare their outcomes with caries-free healthy peers.

This cross-sectional study included 51 children who had been using RSMs for at least six months and 51 systemically healthy and caries-free children as controls. All participants were aged 8–10 years. Demographic data were recorded, and the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8–10) was administered. The regular use of RSM was determined based on statements from both children and parents. Group comparisons of CPQ8–10 scores were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test and the independent samples t-test, with the level of significance set at P < 0.05.

Children using RSMs had significantly higher total CPQ8–10 scores (26.88 ± 11.94) compared to the control group (12.24 ± 7.31) (P < 0.001). Additionally, RSM users demonstrated significantly higher scores in all subscales, including oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being, and social well-being (P < 0.05), showing poorer OHRQoL. No significant differences were observed between regular and irregular RSM users in any CPQ8–10 domain (P > 0.05). Gender and age did not significantly affect total CPQ8–10 scores.

The use of RSMs was associated with lower oral-health-related quality of life among children aged 8–10 years when compared with caries-free peers. RSM use could have exerted a deleterious effect on functional limitations, emotional and social well-being. Clinicians may need to consider psychosocial adaptation in addition to clinical indications when planning treatment with RSMs and provide supportive, child-centred approaches during follow-up.