Parents attitude towards the use of preventive treatment for tooth decay and its effects on their child's oral health-An Observational Study

Abstract

Dental caries can be a transmissible infectious disease in which cariogenic bacteria are passed from caregiver, usually from the mother to the child¹. Various risk factors leading to dental caries include the extent of parental knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) as the oral habits adopted by their parents are consecutively picked up by their children. Preventive oral health behavior of parents for children would influence their children’s behavior in adapting preventive oral health practices as they grow along ^2,3. Since parents are the primary care givers to their children and are responsible for almost all their health issues, their role in modeling their children towards practicing preventive oral health throughout life is indispensable⁴. In this study, literature pertaining to the available information was reviewed on preventive measures for dental decay. A questionnaire was prepared related to preventive measures practiced in dentistry and the data obtained from the parents was recorded and analyzed. Analysis of the results revealed that despite some knowledge gaps, parents emphasized the importance of dental care for children. Still, there is a vast need to create awareness amongst the parents regarding the availability and efficiency of preventive measures against tooth decay in children. This can be achieved by educating the parents through various means such as mass media communication, posters, e-mails, flyers etc.

Keywords: Dental caries, preventive treatment, children’s oral health.