Influence of parents knowledge and attitudes on health

• Published in: International dental journal Vol. 74; pp. S406 - S407
• Main Authors: Kurtanovic, Selma, Martinovic, Brankica, Radojevic, Sanja, Rasic, Milena, Velic, Marija, Markovic, Maja Milosevic, Savic, Slavica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.10.2024
• ISSN: 0020-6539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2024.07.1248

Taking care of oral health begins with the emergence of the first teeth, and the role of parents is of key importance in forming correct habits in maintaining oral hygiene and proper nutrition of children. The objective of this research is to examine how informed are the parents about the impact of oral hygiene, nutrition and fluoride prophylaxis on oral health in early childhood. The study was conducted as part of the project “Parenthood Fair” held in May 2023, in the kindergarten “Mladost” in the area of Novi Pazar. The research included 205 parents of preschool children. The survey questionnaire, formulated for the purposes of this research, included socio-demographic data on parents, data on children's habits and behavior in nutrition and maintaining oral hygiene. Children most often brush their teeth twice a day (68.6%) for 1 and 2 minutes (59.3%). To maintain oral hygiene, children mostly use a toothbrush and toothpaste (95.6%) mainly fluoride toothpaste (70.1%). About two thirds of children consume sweets every day (62.3%). Only every fifth child (24.1%) had a regular systematic examination in the first year of life. The largest percentage of parents believe that baby teeth are important for development (91.7%) and that nutrition affects oral health (95.1%). More than half of parents receive information about oral health from dentists (53.9%) and via the Internet (31.9). The research showed that the level of knowledge and information of parents about maintaining oral hygiene, proper nutrition and the influence of fluoride on children's oral health is insufficient.