Predictors of Poor Brushing of Child’s Teeth at Two Years

Objectives: Aim was to analyze predictors of poor brushing of child’s teeth at two years of age.
Methods: This longitudinal study is part of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Participants were recruited in 2011–2015 in prenatal clinics in Finland. Of those mothers informed about the study (N=5790), 3808 (66%) and 2623 fathers or other partners agreed to participate. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires.

At 12- and 24-months’ data collection point 1677 and 1435 mothers, 871 and 730 fathers returned the questionnaire, respectively. The population was restricted to 506 (30.3% of the mothers, 58.4% of the fathers) mother-father pairs (with 506 children) of which both parents had answered any of the questions relating to tooth brushing at both time points.

Logistic regression analysis was conducted for the poor brushing of child’s teeth (less than twice daily=1) at the age of 24 months. Independent variables were family-related variables (age, education, siblings in the household, childcare and information about whether parents are divorced), brushing of the child’s teeth and parents’ own tooth brushing at 12 months’ time point), with their first order interactions.
Results: The strongest predictor for poor tooth brushing of child’s teeth at the age of 24 months was the poor tooth brushing of child’s teeth at the age of 12 months; the effect was significantly stronger for those children whose fathers had low education (OR=23.7, p=0.007) than for those whose fathers have medium/high education (OR=4.9, p<0.001). Other predictors were mother's (OR=1.9, p=0.032) and father's (OR=1.9, p=0.023) poor brushing of own teeth at the time point of 12 months, childcare at home (OR=1.7, p=0.071) and mother's low education (OR=1.9, p=0.035).
Conclusions: To improve poor brushing of child’s teeth early intervention is needed in families where parents do not brush their teeth as recommended at age of one years.