Mother's sense of coherence and dental characteristics in children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta: A paired study.

Background: The relevance of sense of coherence (SOC) is important to the wellbeing of parents, especially mothers of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).

Objective: Determine whether the oral health status of children/adolescents with OI is associated with mother's SOC.

Methods: A paired cross-sectional study was conducted with 37 children/adolescents with OI, 37 without OI, and their respective mothers. The children/adolescents were between two and 19 years of age, mean age 7.2 years, being 47 male and 27 female. The mothers completed Antonovsky's SOC questionnaire (SOC-13), and the oral status of the children/adolescents was investigated. The following clinical conditions were evaluated: dentinogenesis imperfecta, malocclusion, gingivitis, and dental caries experience.

Results: The genetic condition of the children was significantly associated with mother's SOC (P < .001). Mothers of children with OI had lower SOC scores (mean: 35.6 [± 4.9]) than mothers of children without OI (mean: 38.5 [± 4.3]). In the group with OI, a low socioeconomic status was associated with lower mother's SOC scores (P = .004). In both groups, dental caries experience was associated with lower mother's SOC scores (P = .007). Most individuals with OI presented malocclusion (78.3%) and experience of dental caries (59.4%).

Conclusions: Having a child with OI influenced the sense of coherence of the mothers. Socioeconomic status and dental caries experience in children and adolescents with OI were associated with mother's SOC.