EVALUATION OF PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ORAL HEALTH OF A PRESCHOOL CHILDREN POPULATION
Abstract:
During the past decade there is an alarming increase in prevalence of dental caries globally.
Dental caries can affect the quality of life thru a variety of problems, such as dental and oral pain,
school absenteeism, lack of attention, and poor oral health as an adult. The purpose of this study is to
evaluate parental knowledge and attitudes about oral health of their preschool children in Sibiu. A
descriptive design was used with a convenience sample of 75 parents of children who attended five local
preschools from Sibiu. Twenty items were used to assess parents’ knowledge of their child’s oral health.
Results showed that parents lacked knowledge in some aspects of oral health care, such as breast
feeding, brushing and flossing baby teeth, the importance of fluorides and the necessity of early dental
check-ups of the child. Parents should be able to supervise and teach children different attitudes related
to oral health care and to collaborate with medical doctors and nurses for guidance and education.
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