Knowledge and attitude among dental practitioners regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste for children

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude among dental practitioners in Kerala regarding the use of fluoride toothpastes for children. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional descriptive, questionnaire based online survey was conducted among 300 dental practitioners in Kerala. A Self-administered, structured online questionnaire was send to them for the assessment of their knowledge and attitude regarding the use of fluoride toothpastes in children and the data was analyzed using SPSS 18 software. Results: Among the study subjects, 40 % of the respondents considered that it is very important to brush child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste. Whereas 66 % of them knew that 1000 ppm fluoride should be present in toothpaste for getting its benefit.70 % of the respondents recommended Kid’s fluoride toothpastefor childrenand about 20.3 % of them think kid’s toothpaste contains 1000 ppm fluoride. Only 18% of them recommended regular fluoride toothpaste for children. 60.7 % of the respondents knew about the symptoms seen when high amounts of fluoridated toothpaste were ingested. 52.3 % knew how to manage a child who had ingested high amounts of fluoride toothpaste and 64.7 % knew how to reduce the intake of toothpaste by children. 66 % of the respondents suggested twice daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and 55 % of them suggested pea sized toothpaste for children below 3 years. Conclusion: Dental practitioners had less knowledge and attitude regarding the use of fluoridated toothpastes for children. Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Fluoride Toothpaste, Dental practitioner.