Parents' knowledge about the effects of oral hygiene, proper nutrition and fluoride prophylaxis on oral health in early childhood

Abstract

Introduction: Health education, as one of the important aspects of preventive dentistry, plays an important role in promoting good oral health. The aim of this study was to determine and define the influence of parents' knowledge about the effects of oral hygiene, proper nutrition and fluoride prophylaxis on oral heath in early childhood. Methods: The survey was conducted in four pedagogical-education institution on Kosovo and Metohia, Serbia. The study included 403 parents of children, aged between 3-6 years. Parents were asked to fill a questionnaire about oral hygiene, nutrition and fluoride prophylaxis. Results: Parents from urban (64.8%) and parents from rural (63.5%) areas were informed that the teeth should be brushed at least twice a day. Only 3.4% parents from urban and 3% parents from rural were informed how often should a child toothbrush be changed. Awareness about nutrition showed that parents from rural areas were better informed than parents from urban areas. Parents from urban (31.4%) and rural (31.7%) areas belived that tooth decay may be caused by prolonged breastfeeding. Awareness about fluoride prophylaxis in preventive and pediatric dentistry was poor. Conclusion: The study showed that parents knowledge about the impact of oral hygiene, nutrition and fluoride on the oral health in early childhood is not good.