The attitude of parents of children with hearing impairment toward the prevention of major dental diseases

Abstract

Relevance. The significant increase in the number of children with hearing impairment worldwide and the peculiarity of their dental status demonstrates a need for a specialized approach during preventive care. However, the choice of preventive measures has to consider both the parental perception of the process and its effectiveness.Aim. The study aimed to assess the level of parental knowledge of primary schoolchildren with hearing impairment associated with neurological pathology on the oral hygiene of children and their readiness for dental preventive care measures to improve their child’s dental status.Materials and methods. The study involved the parents of 94 primary schoolchildren aged 6-8 y.o. with hearing impairment associated with neurological pathology. The survey received information on different attitudes to preventive measures to improve children’s dental health.Results. The results demonstrated poor oral hygiene knowledge among parents of primary schoolchildren with hearing impairment associated with neurological pathology and unreadiness for full-scale cooperation with dentists.Conclusion. The obtained data indicate the need for more comprehensive and thoughtful patient education among parents of primary schoolchildren with hearing impairment associated with neurological pathology to create prerequisites for improving the children’s dental status.