Oral Health Attitudes Research Articles

Oral Health Knowledge Attitudes and Practices of Parents of Preschool Children in Amman, Jordan 2019: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aims: Oral health is a vital part of early childhood care. Parents and guardians should have appropriate oral health knowledge and be aware of—and change their perception and attitudes to—their children’s oral health to prevent oral disease. Our aim in this study was to investigate the oral knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents of preschool children.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of 386 participants from dental and pediatric clinics at Jordan University Hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation were used to examine differences in oral health knowledge, attitude and practice of preschool children parents’, and to study the relationship between variables.Results: The mean score for knowledge was 6.1 out of 10 (SD= 2), attitude 14.6 out of 15 (SD= 0.86) and practice 1.6 out of 6 (SD=1.1). In this study, there was a statistically significant difference in the knowledge in relation to parents’ education status (U= 1587.0, p<0.001). Other socio-demographic variables (gender, age, occupational status), did not show any statistical significance. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between knowledge and practice, and between attitude and practice (p˂0.01). Moreover, there was a marginal but statistically significant positive relationship between knowledge and attitude (p=0.05).Conclusions: The level of oral health knowledge and practices of parents of preschool children were low despite having a positive attitude. In addition, there was a gap regarding appropriate practices, which may be attributed to cost, time or commitment. Moreover, there was a statistically significant relation regarding the knowledge and education level of parents. Also, there was a statistically significant relation between knowledge and practice, as well as attitude and practice.

Integrated oral care for patients with spinal cord injuries: perceptions of non-dental professionals

Purpose To understand the oral health attitudes, knowledge, and practices among non-dental professionals caring for patients with spinal cord injuries, as well as the barriers and facilitators to oral care across acute and rehabilitation hospital settings. Materials and Methods This study was a descriptive qualitative study. Nine focus groups with spinal cord injury clinicians from two Sydney hospitals were conducted (n = 35). A thematic analysis was undertaken. Results Four themes were constructed: understanding the impact of spinal cord injuries on oral health and wellbeing; limited support in the spinal cord injury unit to promote oral care; strategies that enable oral care promotion; and recommendations to expand scope in oral care and education. Although most clinicians considered oral health to be important there was a lack of guidelines to support standardised oral care practices. Barriers included lack of time, limited oral care resources, low priority and difficulty in accessing treatment. Staff were receptive to an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to oral care. Conclusion This Australian first study provides insight into spinal cord injury clinicians’ knowledge and practices of oral care. The findings will help guide future research in developing appropriate models of care to promote oral health among patients with spinal cord injuries.

Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of paediatric nurses caring for hospitalized children

ObjectivesNurses are well positioned to provide oral care to hospitalized children. This study explores pediatric hospital nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers to providing oral care.MethodsUsing a descriptive cross-sectional design, previously validated surveys were adapted based on input from key stakeholders and administered to all nurses and staff providing patient care on inpatient units (N = 239) of a pediatric hospital.ResultsThe survey response rate was 40% (N = 96), providing a margin of error of 7.59% (95% C.I.). Most participants were unaware that caries is infectious (51%, n = 49) and caries-producing bacteria is transmissible (35%, n = 34). The majority (57%, n = 52) of participants did not recall oral care content within their formal education or oral care continuing education (88%, n = 81), despite high interest (87%, n = 80). Oral care was rated by most as a priority (85%, n = 81), yet the majority (74%, n = 69) believed it is under performed. More nurses with 6 or more years of experience placed a high or very high value on prioritizing oral health (p = 0.005). Furthermore, most nurses do not assess oral health on admission (63%, n = 60), routinely incorporate oral health into the care plan (45%, n = 43), or document oral care (60%, n = 56). Commonly reported barriers include lack of patient cooperation, medical status, and competing needs.Conclusions and outcomeDespite nurses valuing the importance of oral care and their willingness to learn, oral care practices are lacking, and barriers exist. Future investigation is required to further explore the findings related to barriers to care and lack of practice. These results and future findings will be used to guide institutional oral care policy and education.

Perceptions of patients towards oral health care in a spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit: A qualitative study.

Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are at an increased risk of poor oral health compared to the general population. However, little is known about the related barriers and facilitators experienced by these individuals within the hospital setting. Understand the oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of people with SCIs, barriers and facilitators to managing their oral health, and recommendations to improve oral care at acute/rehabilitation hospital settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants, from a major metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia. The interviews were thematically analysed. Three themes were constructed. Participants believed that the onus was on them to manage their oral health. Individuals also had limited knowledge of its importance to general health, and placed a lower priority on oral health compared to other aspects of health. All participants identified a combination of factors, such as cost, time, resources and prior negative experiences, that contributed to the neglect of their oral care. Participants also discussed the need of support from the multidisciplinary team and family/carers to facilitate oral care and identified various appropriate oral health education formats. This study highlighted some areas where oral health knowledge among people with SCIs could be improved. It also identified the need for oral health training for the multidisciplinary team, as well as carers, to better integrate oral care during rehabilitation in the hospital. The development of oral health interventions would need to utilise a co-design approach to best support clients and their carers to facilitate oral care self-management.

Systematic Review on Oral Health Knowledge, Practice and Attitude In Pakistan

Background: The term "oral health" describes the state of the mouth's defence against ailments that affect the oral cavity, such as tooth decay, periodontal disease, cancer of the mouth and throat, facial discomfort, and ulcers. Oral cleanliness, tobacco usage, alcohol consumption, and general diet are the main contributors to oral health issues and illnesses. The most significant advantage of maintaining proper dental hygiene is the prevention of diseases. In Pakistan, dental health is not given much priority. The aim of this systematic review is to thoroughly examine and summaries the body of research on Pakistani people's attitudes, practices, and knowledge on oral health. The study aims to identify knowledge gaps, offer a thorough review of the existing situation regarding oral health awareness, habits, and attitudes, and indicate possible areas for development. Methods: This thorough systematic review, which adheres closely to PRISMA principles, examines all cross-sectional studies examining the gaps in oral health knowledge, practice, and attitude in Pakistan. Several databases such as Medline, ProQuest Central, Web of Science, and Scopus were used and past and current reviews on the same subject were looked in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Selected papers were meta-synthesized to produce results that were both statistically sound and strong. Results: The findings reveal that there are differences in the population's knowledge about oral health, certain groups with low socio-economic status showing less understanding of preventive and good oral hygiene habits. Conclusion: This review highlights the need for all-encompassing strategies that account for differences in geography, culture, and socioeconomic disparities by placing the findings in a broader literary context. To improve oral health outcomes across the country, specific public health campaigns, educational programmes, and policy measures are crucial given the knowledge gaps and practice discrepancies that have been discovered. By addressing these problems, we can improve people's general health and lessen the prevalence of oral disorders in Pakistan.

Self-reported oral health attitudes and behavior of dentistry students

Objectives: Dentistry students in the Philippines undergo 6 years of undergraduate dental education as their foundation to acquire the skills necessary to prevent, diagnose, and treat oral diseases, and educate their future patients. One of the learning outcomes of the entire course is to make them effective role models in the maintenance and improvement of their patient’s oral health. Throughout their undergraduate years, oral health attitudes and behaviors are formed and may be modified. This study aimed to compare 4th-year preclinical and 5th-year clinical dentistry students in terms of their oral health attitudes and behavior. Materials and Methods: The research employed a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Purposive sampling was done using the Hiroshima University-dental behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire. The questionnaire contains 20 questions, which focus on oral health attitudes and behavior, with a dichotomous response format of “Agree” or “Disagree,” giving one point in favor of good oral health attitudes and behavior for a maximum score of 12. Data was collected via an online survey using Google Forms shared in the appropriate year levels’ official social groups. Higher mean scores indicate good oral health attitudes and behavior. The HU-DBI scores of the two groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: A total of 225 dentistry students in a Philippine private dental college answered the survey, with 119 responses from the 4th year (41% response rate) and 106 responses from the 5th year (77% response rate). The overall mean score of answers favoring good oral hygiene was marginally higher in 4th-year preclinical students (M = 7.17, Standard deviation [SD] = 1.37) than in 5th-year clinical students (M = 7.15, SD = 1.24) but showed no statistical significance in their difference, z = −0.412, P = 0.681. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the oral health attitudes and behavior between the 4th-year preclinical students and 5th-year clinical dental students. Future researchers can look into increasing the sample size and having respondents from other dental universities to provide a wider picture at a national level. Reinforcing oral health education for clinical students may be beneficial.

Examining Oral Hygiene Behaviors, Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, and Attitudes Toward Oral Health Among Minority Students.

This study aimed to examine the association between oral hygiene behaviors, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), oral health attitudes, and self-reported oral health problems among minority undergraduate students attending a state university in Florida. Chi-square analysis was conducted to examine the differences in self-reported dental caries and bleeding gums by oral hygiene behaviors, daily habits, and past oral experiences. Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare OHRQoL and attitude items with self-reported oral health issues and demographics. A greater percentage of students (54.5%) who brushed for ≤1 minute experienced gum bleeding compared to 45.5% who did not report gum bleeding (p = 0.005). Median values for difficulty biting or chewing foods, took days off school, difficulty doing usual activities, and pain were significantly higher among those with self-reported dental caries and bleeding gums. Difficulty with speechsignificantly varied with the presence of bleeding gums and teeth insecurities (p =0.027 and p =0.011, respectively). Avoiding smilingexperienced pain was significantly different among with teeth insecurities (p =0.001, p =0.031). Of the various attitude statements, "I value keeping my mouth healthy"significantlyvaried with dental caries and bleeding gums (p =0.002; p =0.005). Attitude toward acceptance of age-related tooth loss was significantly different with age(p = 0.022). The results provide evidence of self-reported oral health problems affecting OHRQoL and attitudes toward oral health. Improving oral hygiene behaviors with resources available for regular dental visits to minimize dental issues and improve OHRQoL among minority students is warranted.

Evaluation of oral health behavior, knowledge and attitude among dental and nursing preclinical students

Aim: This study aimed to assess and compare the sociodemographic characteristics, oral health behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of first- and second-year students from the Faculty of Dentistry and the Nursing Department. Methods: In the study, a 26-item questionnaire, consisting of the "Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI)" and an additional six questions, was distributed to the dental and nursing students of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. Students were requested to voluntarily complete the questionnaire. Results: Total HU-DBI scores were analyzed based on participants' gender and year of education. No statistically significant difference was found in the total HU-DBI scores with respect to gender or year of education. However, it was observed that first-year nursing students had the highest HU-DBI scores (5.85 ± 1.46). The percentage of nursing students who agreed with the statements “I brush each of my teeth carefully” (p = 0.006) and “I put off going to a dentist until I have a toothache” (p = 0.002) was statistically higher than that of dental students. The percentage of second-year dental students (9.1%) who agreed with the statement “My gums tend to bleed when I brush my teeth” was lower than that of second-year nursing students (42.0%). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the behaviors and attitudes of dental and nursing students, who would guide and contribute to the future oral health of the society, should be enhanced.

Dental caries status and related factors among 5-year-old children in Shanghai.

Dental caries in young children is a difficult global oral health problem. In the last decade, China has put a great deal of effort into reducing the prevalence of dental caries. This study, which is part of the China Population Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance 2021, aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental caries among children aged 5 in Shanghai, China, and its associated factors. A total of 1281 children aged 5 years from 6 districts in Shanghai were selected by a stratified sampling method. The survey consisted of an oral health questionnaire and an oral health examination. The questionnaire included questions on oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. The oral health examination used WHO standards. After screening, the data were input and analysed. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used to study the relevant factors affecting dental caries. The prevalence of dental caries among 1281 children was 51.0%, the dmft index score was 2.46, the Significant Caries Index (SiC) score was 6.39, and the SiC10 score was 10.35. Dental caries experience was related to the frequency of sweet drink consumption, the age of starting tooth brushing, eating habits after brushing, whether the children had received an oral examination provided by the government (p < 0.05), and the mother's education level but was not related to sex, the use of fluoride toothpaste, the frequency of brushing, whether the parents assisted brushing, or the frequency of flossing (p > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the region of residence, eating after brushing and the age of starting brushing were associated with dental caries. Dental caries remained prevalent among 5-year-old children in Shanghai, China. Prevention strategies that target the associated factors including region of residence, eating after brushing, and the age of starting brushing should be considered.

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards oral health among secondary school students in Huye district, Rwanda.

Good oral health knowledge is considered to be crucial for health-related practices and better oral hygiene. This study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards oral health among secondary student in Huye district. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 386 students from public secondary schools with advanced level. Boarding secondary schools were excluded. Stratified Clustering sampling technique was used for selecting study participants. A closed ended questionnaire was used for collecting data. Results were found on the basis of percentage and frequency using SPSS 21.0 version. The majority of participants, 222 (57.5%) were female and 164 (42.5%) were male. The majority of the participants, 168 (43.5%) were between 15-17 years old. Out of the total population of students 1.8% had good knowledge, 56.2% had average knowledge and 42% had poor knowledge about oral health. Moreover, 56.2% had negative and 43.8% had positive oral health attitudes and overall practice towards oral hygiene of students showed that 74.6 % had poor practice and 24.4% had good practices. Oral hygiene has to be long life practice and oral health education have to be included as part of the school environment.

A Study Protocol to Assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Related to Oral Health among Nursing Students in DMIHER (DU)

Abstract Background: Nursing student’s dental health education model is aimed at orienting nursing students with oral health knowledge so that these students must be knowledgeable about dental health to implement it in their daily practices, and thus, they can play a vital part in health education and serve as the ideal role model for patients and the community. Therefore, a questionnaire-based survey is to be conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices related to oral health among nursing students in Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: Around 440 nursing students will be participating in the questionnaire-based cross-sectional study for 2 months. The population will be taken from the nursing college of Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Sawangi Meghe, Wardha. The validated questionnaires will be circulated among the nursing students with the consent of the participation for the participants in study. After receiving the feedback of the questionnaires, the data will be observed, analyzed, and resulted. Expected Results: More than 80% is expected to have knowledge that toothbrushing prevents caries and gingival bleeding, and bleeding gum indicates gum disease. More than 90% may show a positive attitude toward the importance of oral health and considered that it is as important as other systemic health. Around 90% of students are expected to have a positive attitude toward dental floss and mouthwash helps in keeping the teeth clean. More than 90% of students are expected to brush their teeth twice daily and around 50% of students are expected to visit dental clinic regularly for routine dental checkup. Conclusion: The present study will show significant knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding oral health among nursing students. Therefore, our study’s findings might fill the void and provide a sound basis for developing evidence-based oral health reinforcement programs to reduce the discrepancy in oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices.

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of adults: Findings from a National Oral Health Survey in Singapore.

Prevention complements the curative management of oral diseases. Effective preventive interventions involve the adoption of oral health promoting behaviours. Little is known about the awareness of oral disease and its prevention among Singaporean adults as well as their prevailing oral health attitudes and behaviours. The aim of the study was to describe the oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of adults in Singapore. A random sample of adults (≥21 years old) in Singapore was selected to complete an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered information about their knowledge of the aetiology, signs and symptoms as well as prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease; attitudes about the value of teeth, locus of control in maintaining oral health and oral health behaviours including toothbrushing, flossing and dental attendance. A total of 1196 adults of weighted mean age 48 years old with almost equal proportions of males and females responded to the questionnaire. Participants were more unaware about the causes of periodontal disease (25.7%) than dental caries (4%). While more than 90% of participants felt that healthy teeth were important and could affect their overall health, many (67.0%) felt it was natural to lose their teeth with old age. Among the participants, 83.5% brushed their teeth twice a day; 41.9% flossed their teeth and 53.9% visited the dentist at least once a year. The study findings showed good knowledge around dental caries but some gaps around periodontal disease. It also found that participants perceived having limited control over preventing tooth loss. Irregular dental attendance and poor denture wearing habits were also noted. The findings shed light on key areas to focus on through oral health promotion to improve overall oral health.

Effectiveness of oral health education on oral hygiene status among adult male inmates in central jail, Kolkata – an interventional study

PurposeOral health is an integral part of general health. Different population groups have been assessed for oral health status in India, but still, many have been neglected; one such group is the prisoners. The prison population is a unique and challenging one with many health problems, including poor oral health, which may be due to lack of knowledge about good oral health practices. This study aims to assess effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude and practices and oral hygiene status among the male prison inmates of central jail in Kolkata, India.Design/methodology/approachAn interventional study was done among 240 male convicts. The data was elicited using a structured proforma; oral health status was assessed by recording OHI-S index, and the severity of gingivitis was assessed by recording the gingival index. Oral health education was delivered by using audio-visual aid. Oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene and gingival status were reassessed among the inmates before and after dental education at the end of three and six months.FindingsA significant change in oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was seen, which in turn resulted in an appreciable decrease in the mean gingival index score (1.73 ± 0.382 to 1.20 ± 0.321) and OHI-S (3.31 ± 0.815 to 2.57 ± 0.551) in all the inmates after oral health education program over the period of time.Originality/valueThe oral health education with reinforcement proved to be an effective tool to instil good oral hygiene practices in the inmates.

Impacts on oral health attitude and knowledge after completing a digital training module among Swedish healthcare professionals working with older adults

Oral health care is essential, and digital training may influence healthcare professionals’ attitudes to and knowledge of oral health. The aim, therefore, was to evaluate the impact on attitudes to and knowledge of oral health after using a digital training module among Swedish healthcare professionals working within a municipality-run healthcare service for older adults. A secondary aim was to explore the healthcare professionals’ experiences of using the digital module. The study comprised a survey of healthcare professionals (registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses, and care assistants) caring for older adults in a municipality in Sweden. Pre-post-tests were conducted to evaluate the outcomes for attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and of their experiences of completing the digital training module in oral health. These were statistically explored by comparing differences between the pre-post-tests, while the open-ended questions were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study indicate that healthcare professionals had similar perceptions of their attitudes to and knowledge of oral health both before and after the digital training module in oral health. The study also indicates that healthcare professionals experienced that it is easier to perform practical oral health care after completing the digital training. The results also show that healthcare professionals value oral health knowledge and that the digital training module was easy to use and to disseminate knowledge throughout the municipality. The findings have implications for developing, implementing, and promoting healthcare professionals’ attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and in using a digital training module in combination with practical exercises in oral health in municipality health care.

Thoughts about "Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Among Health Professions' Students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences" [Letter

Thoughts about "Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Among Health Professions' Students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences" [Letter

Assessment of Differences in Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students.

Aim To assess and compare differences in oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among preclinical and clinical dental students of Dental Institute, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. Material and methods A total of 175 students responded to a total of 37 questions regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding dentistry and oral health. The mean percentage scores and standard deviation were calculated to assess the relation between knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Results It was observed that the students in the clinical phase had significantly better knowledge and attitude towards oral health than preclinical undergraduates. There was no significant difference in mean and SD among clinical and preclinical students in behavior while statistically significant differences were observed in their responses to questions related to knowledge (p = 0.000) and attitude (p = 0.007). Female students had better knowledge than male students (p = 0.029). Conclusion Clinical dental students of the institute showed a marginally higher KAP regarding oral health than preclinical students. This might reveal an ineffective transition of the students from the preclinical to the clinical stage. On intergender comparison, the females were better oriented than males towards oral health.

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of dietitians in Australia: A national survey.

Dietitians are a well-placed profession to be providing pre-emptive oral health promotion. Despite recommendations that oral health promotion should be routinely part of dietetic practice, there is limited data informing the current practices of clinical dietitians in this area across Australia. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices of Australian dietitians and oral health promotion. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken involving registered clinical dietitians in Australia using purposive and snowballing sampling (social media/dietetic organisations/public databases). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 149 dietitians participated in the national survey. Overall, dietitians were knowledgeable about oral health risk factors and preventative measures across general health domains. Majority of dietitians agreed that oral health can affect nutrition interventions (95.5%) and dietitians should be discussing oral health (88.0%). However, nearly half were not confident in providing counselling or education and felt that undergraduate training for oral health promotion was inadequate (78.2%). A small proportion (6.0%) of dietitians were already providing oral health promotion regularly. Key barriers included a lack of clear guidelines for practice, limited training opportunities and indistinct referral pathways. Dietitians have acknowledged that oral health promotion should be incorporated into their practice. However, they are challenged by a lack of resources and training to support this in clinical practice. SO WHAT?: Capacity building dietitians to promote oral health allows opportunity for improvement in the oral health, nutritional status and quality of life of priority population groups.

Characteristics and influencing factors of the first dental visit among children in Bangkok, Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe first dental visit (FDV) is fundamental to good oral health. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of FDV, including the influencing factors, in children attending the government dental hospital in Bangkok.MethodsThis study included 289 pairs of new patients (aged 0–12 years) and their parents. The questionnaires, consisting of three parts: socio-demographic, reasons for the child’s FDV and for not having FDV earlier, and the children’s oral health knowledge and attitude, were completed by parents. The Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare variables among age groups. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that influence the age at FDV. The variables included in the analysis were the child’s characteristics, the family’s socio-demographic background, the presence of symptoms, and the parents’ knowledge and attitude towards their child’s oral health.ResultsThe mean ages of children at FDV were 5.57 ± 2.88 (age range of 0.58–11.92) years. There were 2.42% who had FDV ≤ 12 months of age, and 76.5% of all children already had dental caries. A low attitude score among parents was significantly found in the older age group of children (p = 0.001). The influencing factors with the age at FDV were the parental age (p < 0.001), the presence of symptoms or chief complaints (p = 0.016), and the presence of dental caries (p < 0.001).ConclusionsChildren in Bangkok had seriously delayed FDV compared to the recommended guidelines. The parental age strongly influenced the proper age at FDV, together with the presence of symptoms or chief complaints, and the presence of dental caries. Thus, an effective campaign to raise awareness about FDV is still needed, especially in advanced maternal age.

Oral health knowledge, attitude and practice among parents of children with craniofacial syndromes.

Parents play an important role in caring for their children's oral health, especially for those with craniofacial deformities. In this study, we analyzed the oral health knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among parents of children of 1 to 16 years-of-age with craniofacial syndromes (CS) at Universiti Malaya Medical Center (UMMC), Malaysia. This was a case-controlled study conducted between March and December 2021 involving 30 parents of children with CS and 30 parents of normal children as controls. A modified validated KAP questionnaire was distributed to all parents. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 26.0 and descriptive analysis was performed, with data expressed as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage (%). Most respondents from both groups were mothers (73.3%) between 31 to 40 years-of-age. Both groups of parents had similar levels of oral health knowledge; there was no significant difference between the two groups for 10 of the KAP questions (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant different between the two groups with regards to two 2 relating to the definition of plaque and its relationship to dental caries (p = 0.035 and p = 0.032, respectively). Some parents of CS children believed that primary teeth were not important (23.33%) and were not concerned if their children showed changes in tooth color (26.67%). Despite parental acknowledgement of ideal practice, both groups of children showed irregular dental attendance and reduced toothbrushing frequency. Parents of children with CS had a similar depth of oral health knowledge and a slightly reduced positive attitude when compared to parents in the control group. However, both groups of parents had poor knowledge relating to the transmission and causes of dental caries. Healthcare providers should increase their awareness strategies for parents to be more aware of the ways to improve their children's oral health.

Investigation on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Oral Health among Medical College and University Undergraduate

Investigation on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Oral Health among Medical College and University Undergraduate