Parent's pro-health awareness concerning oral health of their children in the light of survey research.

BACKGROUND: Oral hygiene is a crucial part of caring for young children. This problem is frequently marginalized or even ignored by parents/guardians, what affects child's whole further life.

OBJECTIVES: The assessment of parents' knowledge concerning oral hygiene and prevention of dental caries in infants and young children.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: The test group consisted of parents, as well as men and women currently expecting a child. The study was conducted in a form of a survey, using an original questionnaire, which was carried out in several hospitals in Lodz and online, on a popular local forum for parents. The data obtained were analyzed statistically, allowing the assessment of health awareness of respondents and the creation of various profiles of parental knowledge on the subject investigated.

RESULTS: Most of respondents knew the age at which milk and permanent teeth erupt, gave the correct frequency of brushing child's teeth and were in favor of limiting sweets in the diet. A total of 59% correctly gave the number of deciduous teeth and 66% had heard of the "bottle tooth decay". All respondents thought that helping and controlling a child while brushing their teeth is indispensable, but they did not know the best time to start using the toothpaste with fluoride. The information about child's oral hygiene was more often looked for by women (67%) than by men (29%). The study also showed that if a training on the given subject was organized, 60% of respondents would be willing to participate in it.

CONCLUSION: In the test group, pro-health awareness is insufficient to maintain the oral health of the offspring and requires constant developing.