IADR Abstract Archives
Oral-Health Knowledge of Parents and Children Attending Nice Dental Hospital
Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe oral health knowledge of parents and children in Nice Dental Hospital to implement an oral health promotion strategy.
Methods: A sample of parents and children, volunteers, attending the Nice Dental Hospital for one week (Week 14, 2024), were invited to fill in a form concerning childhood and oral health, in a face-to-face mode. Statistical analyses were conducted thanks to Fisher’s exact test.
Results: A total of 24 parents and 63 children (25 aged 3-6 and 38 aged 7-14) filled in the form. 44% of children were female. Concerning the frequency of brushing, the youngest children thought it was necessary to brush one’s teeth once (32%) or twice a day (64%), whereas the oldest thought it was recommended to brush one’s teeth once (15.8%), twice (31.6%) or three times a day (52.6%). Almost all parents thought that the correct brushing frequency was twice a day (96%) (p<0.0001). The older children knew soft bristle toothbrushes (84.2%) were the best choice and most of them tended to know the benefits of fluorides (68.4%). Half of them thought they should only consult their dentist in case of pain. One third of parents thought they had to take their child for a first dental visit at 6 years. Over 33% considered fluorides were not recommended before 3 years of age. Only 41.7% of parents knew it was necessary to clean their child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appeared. No parent was able to cite sealants as a mean of preventing dental decay.
Conclusions: Parents and children in this sample had globally poor oral health knowledge. Confusion regarding dental attendance (first visit and reason for consultation) or fluoride use suggests that these items require particular emphasis in oral health promotion program.
Methods: A sample of parents and children, volunteers, attending the Nice Dental Hospital for one week (Week 14, 2024), were invited to fill in a form concerning childhood and oral health, in a face-to-face mode. Statistical analyses were conducted thanks to Fisher’s exact test.
Results: A total of 24 parents and 63 children (25 aged 3-6 and 38 aged 7-14) filled in the form. 44% of children were female. Concerning the frequency of brushing, the youngest children thought it was necessary to brush one’s teeth once (32%) or twice a day (64%), whereas the oldest thought it was recommended to brush one’s teeth once (15.8%), twice (31.6%) or three times a day (52.6%). Almost all parents thought that the correct brushing frequency was twice a day (96%) (p<0.0001). The older children knew soft bristle toothbrushes (84.2%) were the best choice and most of them tended to know the benefits of fluorides (68.4%). Half of them thought they should only consult their dentist in case of pain. One third of parents thought they had to take their child for a first dental visit at 6 years. Over 33% considered fluorides were not recommended before 3 years of age. Only 41.7% of parents knew it was necessary to clean their child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appeared. No parent was able to cite sealants as a mean of preventing dental decay.
Conclusions: Parents and children in this sample had globally poor oral health knowledge. Confusion regarding dental attendance (first visit and reason for consultation) or fluoride use suggests that these items require particular emphasis in oral health promotion program.