Objective: To determine the type of oral care practices from guardians towards health care practices of Venezuelan children.
Method: Descriptive study, with non-experimental field design. The population consisted on representatives of patients who attend to Centro Integral de Atención al Niño y Adolescente de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad del Zulia. For the sample selection, a simple random sampling technique was applied, based on 100 guardians. For data collection technique, a structured questionnaire survey to investigate the guardian´s oral care practices to maintain or improve the oral health of children was applied.
Results: 82 % of surveyed guardians felt they had not taken the child to a dentist before the age of 2. About 60 % said their child has received preventive treatments, 49 % do not have a treating dentist for their children or family; 68 % of guardians did not receive guidance about oral care. 71 % reported that their children brush their teeth more than once a day.
Conclusion: The survey’s results show weakness coming from guardians towards oral care orientation. Consequently resulting in a delay in the onset of dental care and revealing the need for orientation programs for parents on oral care practices for their children.