Fathers’ Role in Preventive Dental Visit by Children

Objectives: This study assessed father’s role in preventive dental visits by children. It also assessed the association between age, occupation and being aware of preventive dental visit by children.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study of 85 fathers attending General Outpatient Clinic and Oral diagnosis clinics of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. Data on socio demographic profile, fathers’ knowledge of preventive dental visit by children and decision on child’s visit to the dentist in the past was collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate analysis was conducted to test the association between the fathers’ age, occupation, and being aware of preventive dental visit and P<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The age range of the study participants was 25 to 79 years and the mean age was 50.45±11.65years. Forty one (48.2%) fathers were aware of preventive dental visit by children but only 3(3.5%) knew that first dental visit should be made before child’s first birthday. Also, 77(90.5%) fathers will take final decision on child’s visit to the dentist.
29(34.1%) of them have accompanied their children to a dental clinic in the past and 24(82.8%) of the visits were symptomatic visits. There was no significant association between age (P=0.90), occupation (P=0.52) and being aware of preventive dental visit by children.

Conclusions: Majority of fathers will take final decision on child’s visit to the dentist and a few knew that first dental visit should be made before child’s first birthday. There is need to improve oral health knowledge of fathers to enhance better oral health for children.