Childhood Early Oral Aging Syndrome: Prevalence, Associated Etiological Factors, and Consequences on Vertical Dimension of Occlusion (VDO): A Cross-Sectional Study

The Early Oral Aging Syndrome (EOAS) is a broad concept concerning changes in oral health caused by systemic diseases of different origins, which are related to the current lifestyle in the pediatric population. Enamel defects associated with intrinsic and extrinsic factors promote the acceleration of dental structure loss in an early manner, causing impairment of function, aesthetics, and quality of life. In this context, this study aims to identify the prevalence of early childhood tooth wear and its severity using the Early Childhood Oral Aging Syndrome (EOAS) index as a diagnostic and epidemiological survey instrument, considering current alterations found in the pediatric population and verifying possible factors associated with each severity level. Participants aged 3 to 6 years old, enrolled in the pediatric dentistry clinic of the University Nove de Julho, will be selected. Children with imperfect amelogenesis and dentinogenesis, genetic syndromes, and undergoing orthodontic treatment will be excluded from the research. A questionnaire on general health, sleep quality, nutrition, hygiene habits, and parafunctional habits will be administered. Subsequently, a clinical examination will be conducted using the new Early Childhood Oral Aging Syndrome (EOAS) index with scores ranging from 0 to 3 to assess dental wear and dental management, and scores I to III that should be used concomitantly in cases of enamel defects presence, in addition to measuring the Vertical Dimension of Occlusion (VDO). EOAS scores will be computed and statistically analyzed for deciduous dentition with a significance level of P<0.05.