Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Oral Healthcare among Preschool Children in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia
Author(s): Manal A Al-Mutairi*
Abstract
Background/purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate parent's knowledge, attitude, and practice towards oral health of preschool children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted using a survey for parents of preschool children of governmental kindergartens in different regions of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data was coded, computerized, and analyzed for the quantitative and categorical variables. Results: A total of 384 parents participated in the study. Mostly mothers (91.9%) filled the questionnaires. Demographic information showed that 61.5% of the parents constituted the most prevalent age group which was 30-39 year old parents. Tooth brushing with paste was the most common method of oral hygiene (89.1%) in all age groups. Most of the children brushed the teeth once or twice a day. About 80.7% of parents supervised and advised children during tooth brushing procedure. Almost all parents did not know the time of the first dental visit. Approximately all parents (99.2%) believed the important of teeth of their children’s health and 84.4% recognized that primary teeth are important. Similarly, 70.8% of parents recognized any problems of primary teeth will affect the permanent teeth. Conclusion: Parents of preschool children in this study had poor oral health knowledge. Despite their general positive attitudes towards oral health, their attitude was not reflected on their children regarding brushing and regular dental visit.