Oral Health Habits of Kuwaiti Preschool Children and their Mothers

Objective: To find out the relationship between oral hygiene and sugar consumption habits of the mothers and their children. In addition, also the association of the habits with caries experience was studied. Methods: The data on oral health habits were collected using questionnaires given to the mothers in two nursery schools in Hawally government (n = 42). Clinical examination to record caries experience of the children and their mothers has completed according to WHO (1997) criteria. Results: A half (54.8%) of all children brushed their teeth more than once a day, and 73.8% of the children were supervised by their mothers while brushing. Almost all the mothers (90.5%) brushed their teeth more than once a day, but only 7% used dental floss regularly. The prevalences of the daily users of the following sugar products were: 95.3% of the children for sweets (73.2% of the mothers), 92.2% (52.4%) for biscuits, 88.1% (71.4%) for fruits, and 35.8% (21.4%) for soft drinks. If the mother used sweets every day, also the child used them the same way. If the mother used soft drinks every day, then 33% of the children also used it every day, but if the mother did not use soft drinks daily, then only 7% of the children used soft drinks daily. Conclusions: There seemed to be a strong association in the use of sweets and soft drinks between the mother and the child. However, there was no correlation in toothbrushing habits of the mother and the child. Acknowledgements: This elective study project was suppervised by Dr. Eino Honkala.