Parental Knowledge and Attitude Towards Early Orthodontic Treatment for Their Primary School Children

Abstract

Background: Malocclusion, one the most important oral health problem among children and young adults, leads to social stigma and psychological disorders. Early orthodontic treatment for children appears to be one of the efficient methods to prevent these consequences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, which was conducted in Shiraz, city of Iran, comprised 1600 primary school children aged 7 and 8 years old from 16 schools in the 4 districts of Shiraz. Self-administered questionnaires, giving scores to parental knowledge and attitude towards early orthodontic treatment, were designed and distributed to the children to deliver them to their parents. The maximum possible mean score for both knowledge and attitude questions were. Results: Out of 1600, 1026 (64%) questionnaires were returned. The analysis revealed the mean score of parental knowledge and attitude as 0.78 and 0.38 respectively. The mean score of participants from high social class was significantly higher in the knowledge and attitude sections (P value < 0.001). Highly educated parents presented an appreciably greater level of attitude score (mean score: 0.43, P value < 0.001). A remarkable correlation of parental former orthodontic treatment with a routine and problem-based visit of a dentist was observed [odds ratio (OR): 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1 to 4.4] and (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.2 to 4.4) in order. Conclusions: This study showed significant effect of higher social class on the parents’ knowledge and attitude and also beneficial impact of higher educational level on parents’ attitude. The parents, who were former orthodontic patient, were more concerned about their children’s dentofacial health.