Oral Health Education in Children before Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude of parents towards the oral health of their children before oral rehabilitation under general anesthesia (GA). Children receiving dental treatment under GA between November 2013 and July 2014 in the Pediatric Dentistry Department (University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France) were enrolled in an oral health preventive program. An anonymous questionnaire was self-administered by the parents during the pre-operative session. The sample comprised 67 children with a mean age of 4.8 years. 48 % of the parents had difficulties in maintaining the oral hygiene of their child. Two thirds of them reported a lack of cooperation. An adult cleaned the child's teeth in 43% of the cases. 14% of the study population brushed their teeth twice a day or more. In addition, half of the parents reported that they modified food consumption or teeth cleaning habits of their children since the initial consultation. This study suggests a low compliance of parents and children with the recommendations on oral hygiene and food consumption given at the initial visit and demonstrates the feasibility of a preventive program in this population.