Children's Brushing Research Articles

Family Functioning and Dental Behaviours of Pre-school Children.

To examine the association of family functioning with child dental behaviours and to identify family functioning domains associated with those behaviours. Cross-sectional data from the East London Oral Health Inequalities (ELOHI) study were analysed in a subsample of 733 parent-child (3-4-years-olds) dyads. Family functioning was measured with the 60-item Family Assessment Device that yielded a general functioning score and six domain scores (roles, communication, problem solving, affective involvement, affective responsiveness, and behaviour control). Child dental behaviours were sugar intake, dental attendance and toothbrushing frequency. The association of family functioning with each dental behaviour was assessed in logistic regression models adjusted for confounders (parental sociodemographic and child demographic factors). Unhealthy general functioning was associated with greater odds of reporting high child intake of sugars (OR: 1.78, 95%CI: 1.01-3.13) as well as lower odds of reporting frequent child brushing (OR: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.50-1.18) and a child visit for dental check-up in the past year (OR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.62-1.53), after adjustment for confounders. Unhealthy functioning in roles, affective involvement and behaviour control were associated with high child sugar intake whereas unhealthy functioning in roles was inversely associated with frequent child toothbrushing. No family functioning domain was associated with child dental attendance pattern. Healthy family functioning was associated with more favourable child dental behaviours. How a family functions, particularly in terms of how they define roles and support each other emotionally, is likely to be relevant to child oral health.

Upaya Penurunan Kejadian Karies Gigi pada Anak Melalui Colouring Book sebagai Media Health Education di Sekolah Dasar Wilayah Gresik

The incidence of dental and oral health problems in school-age children is still quite high, so it is necessary to provide health education with appropriate media for them. The results of the survey at Madrasah Ibtidayyah Negeri 1 Gresik class 1 showed that 80% of children had cavities. None of the students' teeth were filled. 64% of children have tooth decay / teeth, and this triggers the high incidence of dental infections in children. 80% of children brush their teeth twice a day. 63% of children do not have the habit of brushing their teeth before going to bed. The response through a digital survey to the use of health education media in the form of coloring books makes children happy and is expected to increase children's desire to maintain dental health as in the book

Can protective factors prevent caries in preschool children?

Design A case-control randomised trial.Case/control selection Preschools in Tehran/Iran were selected for inclusion through multi-stage cluster random sampling. They were divided into strata based on population density and a preschool from each was randomly selected. From this, children aged 4-6 years were identified. Twelve children from each preschool were placed into the 'caries-free' experimental group and 12 into the 'caries present' control group. Where insufficient experimental group participants were recruited, additional control group participants were included. Incentives for participation included free preventive procedures and completion of required dental treatment. All participants underwent intraoral examinations and independent parent questionnaires. The study received ethical approval.Data analysis Participants were assessed objectively for caries status by blinded calibrated examiners, using a standardised and validated questionnaire as part of a face-to-face interview. This questionnaire included three domains: sociodemographic factors, behavioural oral health measures and feeding practices/dietary habits. Sociodemographic characteristic recorded included sex, age, the number of siblings and the parents' level of education. A logistic regression model was applied to identify caries-free protective factors (p <0.05). The collected data was then entered into the SPSS software version 21 for statistical analysis.Results In total, 528 participants were recruited, with 28 ineligible due to lack of consent. This resulted in 230 participants in the experimental group and 270 in the control group. Protective factors against dental caries were identified as: dental check-up as the cause of dental visit; being the eldest child in the family; minimised night feeding; family owning their residence; and parents having university-level education (p <0.05). Antibiotic consumption and mothers who were not able to make their children brush their teeth were not identified as factors.Conclusions The outcome showed that protective factors including regular check-up and socioeconomic factors are associated with dental health. Dental check-up as the cause of dental visit, being the eldest child in the family, minimised night feeding, family owning their residence and parents having university-level education reduce the chance of preschool children suffering dental caries.

The effect of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on children brushing habits, plaque index, and caries indices in children

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on children's caries indices, plaque scores, and brushing habits in children aged 5-17 years.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of 100 children (39 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 61 healthy children) were included in the study. The plaque index, decay-missed-filled primary tooth (dmf-t) index, and decay-missed-filled permanent tooth (DMF-T) index values were evaluated by clinical examination. The plaque was evaluated using the Silness and Loe Plaque Index. Patient forms were examined to evaluate brushing habits.&#x0D; Results: When the survey data was examined, the number of healthy children who brushed their teeth was higher than that of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (p&lt;0.05). The dental visit and dental treatment rates were similar in both groups (p&gt;0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of plaque index and dmf-t and DMF-T scores (p&gt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were observed to neglect oral care routines more than their healthy counterparts; however, this did not affect plaque and caries index values.&#x0D; &#x0D; How to cite this article: Kuter B, Kanmaz B. The effect of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on children brushing habits, plaque index and caries indices in children. Int Dent Res 2021;11(2):109-13. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2021.vol11.no1.8&#x0D; &#x0D; Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.

Dental Caries in Relation to Sugar Consumption among Children - A Study from Southern Punjab, Pakistan

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/strong&gt; Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases among children around the world. It has a complex aetiology and different factors like sugar intake, brushing habits, body mass index, and socio-economic status may play a significant role. Apart from dental pain, caries affects children&amp;rsquo;s over all body functions, body growth, and pose a financial burden on families. The objective of the study was to determine the association between sugar intake and dental decay among local paediatric population.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Ibn-e-Sina Hospital Multan, Pakistan from July, 2019 to December, 2019. Data were collected on a specifically designed questionnaire. A total of 540 participants of age range between 5 and 12 years were selected for this study after taking consent from their parents. The data were analysed using statistical tests of significance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Female children were predominantly affected as compared to males (56.7% vs. 43.3%) caries was seen more frequently in children brushing teeth once than those doing it twice (p = 0.01). Children taking cariogenic food between meals and 2 hours before sleep showed a significant association with caries development (p = 0.02; p = 0.01). Primary teeth were affected more (74.18%) than the secondary teeth (11.92%).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; Irregular brushing habits and frequency and timing of cariogenic food intake are the leading causes of caries in children from local population.&lt;/p&gt;

Factors associated with a late visit to dentists by children: A cross-sectional community-based study in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aims to determine children's age at their first visit to dentists and factors associated with these visits. MethodsThis cross-sectional community survey-based study was conducted in 2019 during the events of the 10th Gulf Oral Health Week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All participants including visitors and dentists, with current or previous experience in caring for children aged six months to ten years, provided their consents for the study. ResultsAmong the visitors, 348 participated in the survey. Most children, aged three to ten years, first visited the dentist with complaints of pain and dental cavities. The risk of a late visit to the dentist increased (OR: 2.28; CI 95%: 1.01–5.14) among caregivers who did not help their children brush their teeth. Using the Internet for accessing health information negatively impacted the visits (OR: 27.00; CI 95% 1.26–57.35). While employed mothers took their children to the dentist at an earlier age (OR: 2.284; CI 95% 1.08–4.79), early visits were mostly missed by mothers with smaller families (OR: 0.043; CI 95% 0.48–0.98). ConclusionThe results of our study show that the caregiver's attitude, source of health information, employment, age, and number of children are risk factors associated with late visits to dentists.

Does maternal tooth brushing-related sef-efficacy predict child's brushing adherence?

Dental plaque is a root cause of dental caries. Effective plaque control in young children can be achieved with twice-daily assisted tooth brushing. Self-efficacy relates to one's confidence in performing a task. Self-efficacy is shown to facilitate the behavior change in treatments for lifestyle diseases. The influence of maternal self-efficacy in children's oral health behaviors is less studied. The aim of this study is to evaluate an association between maternal tooth brushing-related self-efficacy (MTBSE) and child's brushing adherence. This cross-sectional study was conducted in schools and included 781 mother-child dyads with children between the age group of 2 and 6 years. Selected mothers were asked to complete the questionnaires on sociodemographic data, mother's oral health knowledge (MOHK), tooth-brushing practices, and MTBSE. Brushing adherence was evaluated as complete adherence if the child followed twice daily assisted brushing using the toothbrush and toothpaste. Nonparametric tests were used to compare the variables. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the predictors of brushing adherence. Complete brushing adherence (assisted brushing with toothbrush and toothpaste at least twice per day) was seen only in 26.9% children. More children with complete brushing adherence were single children (P < 0.001). Children with complete brushing adherence had mothers with significantly higher MTBSE (P < 0.001). The presence/absence of siblings, MOHK, and MTBSE were found to be strong and significant predictors of brushing adherence in children. MTBSE plays a significant role in complete adherence to toothbrushing in children aged 2-6 years.

Oral Health Behaviors in Very Young Children in Low-Income Urban Areas in Chicago, Illinois, 2018-2019.

IntroductionBecause most data on oral health do not include infants and toddlers, we aimed to describe the oral health behaviors of low-income children younger than 3 years and determine factors associated with child tooth brushing.MethodsWe obtained data from the Coordinated Oral Health Promotion Chicago study, which included 420 families with children aged 6 to 36 months and their caregivers in Cook County, Illinois. We assessed child frequency of brushing from caregiver reports and objectively determined child dental plaque scores. Significant factors associated with tooth brushing frequency and dental plaque score were identified using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator variable selection.ResultsMean child age was 21.5 (SD, 6.9) months, and only 45% of caregivers brushed their children’s teeth twice per day or more. The mean plaque score was 1.9 (SD, 0.6), indicating high levels of plaque. Child brushing frequency was higher when children were older; used the correct toothpaste amount; brushed for a longer duration; and when caregivers brushed their own teeth more frequently, had more help with the overall care of the child’s teeth, and had family to help. Child brushing frequency was lower for caregivers with more interference from activities of daily life. Children whose caregivers had more adult help with child brushing had better plaque scores; worse plaque scores were seen in children with higher sugary beverage and food consumption and lower household incomes.ConclusionThe tooth brushing behaviors of young children are strongly associated with those of their parents and with the level of family support for brushing. Interventions to improve brushing in young children should focus on the entire family.

Model Mentoring Teachers and Parents as an Efforts for Brushing Teeth Behavior in Preschool Children

The dental health problems of preschool children are higher compared to primary schools, this is due tochildren not being able to do independent activities in brushing their teeth. The teacher and parent mentoringmodel is a model of learning to brush teeth in an effort to form the behavior of preschool brushing teeth witha period of 10 days. Methods: This study is the Research and Development (R & D) and test the model usingexperimental quasy pretest and posttest with control group design. Preschoolers research subjects weredivided into 2 groups: 1. Intervention model of mentoring teachers and parents brushing teeth 2. Model 21days as the control. Data were tested using intraclass correlation coefficient tests, repeated measures anova,friedman, t-test and mann whitney. Results: The application of the teacher and parent mentoring modelwas equally effective with the 21-day brushing model for improved tooth-brushing skills (p> 0.304) andequally effective for increasing plaque-free scores (p <0.788) compared to the control group. Conclusion:The application of the teacher and parents mentoring model effectively as efforts to establish the behaviorof preschool children brushing teeth.

A SURVEY ON ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES OF CHILDREN ATTENDING THE PUNJAB DENTAL HOSPITAL, LAHORE AND ASSESSMENT OF ORAL HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG THEIR PARENTS

To assess parents knowledge and awareness about oral health and hygiene and to investigate oral hygiene practices of their children .&#x0D; Materials and Methods :A questionnaire based survey was conducted among randomly selected parents of 300 children attending the outdoor Paedodontic department of Punjab dental hospital, Lahore from different cities of Punjab province. Total 300 distributed questionnaires, each having two parts were filled and returned by parents on next appointment visit of their children. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 21.0. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from institutional/hospital Ethical Committee.&#x0D; Results:74.35% parents acknowledged the importance of oral hygiene. 35.3% parents considered good oral health important for general health. Most of the parents (64.7%) didn’t know that primary teeth affect permanent teeth and 70% of parents didn’t think that primary carious teeth require treatment. Majority of the parents (78.3% and 55.7% respectively) didn’t know that pacifiers/bottles(feeders) affect the infants /childs oral health and should be replaced by feeding cups when the child is able to hold it. 82.7% parents knew that sweet sticky food causes caries however 61.3% didn’t consider frequent intake of artically flavoured juices,beverages detrimental for oral health. Most of the parents (75%) considered tooth brushing important but 57.7% didn’t know that bedtime brushing is extremely beneficial for oral health. 62.3% parents did not know that fluoride toothpastes provide protection against dental caries and 51% of the parents didn’t consider routine dental checkups necessary. According to the data, 39.7% parents initiated teeth brushing of their children at the age of 19-24 months, followed by 25-30 months (25%). Majority of the children were supervised/ helped in cleaning teeth (92%). Most of the children were found to brush their teeth only once a day (73%). Most frequently used tooth cleaning aid was tooth brush &amp; tooth paste (66%) followed by maswak (18% ). Most of the children spent thirty seconds on brushing (62.3%) followed by one minute (17.7%). Most of the children brush their teeth in horizontal direction (57%) followed by haphazard (34%) direction. 65.7%) of the parents didn’t remember when they last changed their child’s tooth brush. Majority of the parents (45.3%) took their child for dental visit more than one year ago and main reason for visit was pain (71%). Most of the children took sweet sticky food several times a day (65%).&#x0D; Conclusion:Parents awareness about oral health and hygiene is the need of hour to improve oral health of children in our country. The results of this study lay emphasis on conduction of various educational and motivational programmes among the parents about significance of oral health and hygiene at grassroots level.

Impact of Health Promotion Interventions on Early Childhood Caries Prevention in Children Aged 2-5 Years Receiving Dental Treatment Under General Anesthesia.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of health promotion interventions on early childhood caries prevention in 2–5 year-olds receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia.Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven mother-child couples presenting to the clinic of the Dental School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences for treatment under general anesthesia were randomly divided to two groups: 19 couples in the pamphlet and fluoride varnish four times a year, and 18 couples in the pamphlet plus six phone call reminders and fluoride varnish four times a year. A standard questionnaire on demographics and children oral health-related practice of parents was completed by respondents. On children's oral examination, the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), dmft, and the presence of new white spot lesions (WS) were recorded in both phases. At the final stage, Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) was completed by parents. The length of follow-up was 24 months.Results: In both groups, there was an increase in the number of mothers who knew how to brush their children's teeth as well as the number of mothers who brushed their children's teeth (P < 0.05). In the reminder group, an improvement occurred in the mothers' perception of their perceived ability to make their children brush their teeth twice a day (P = 0.03). Clinical examination revealed a significant decrease in the OHI-S (from 1.9 ± 0.8 to 1.15 ± 0.5) and the number of WS (from 8.5 ± 5.5 to 0.08 ± 0.5) in both groups on the follow-up visit. The mean dmft was 11.0 ± 4.0 with a mean d component of 10.56 ± 4 at the baseline, which decreased significantly to 1.44 ± 1.96 after dental treatment. No significant increase was seen in new caries in the intervention groups. There was no significant difference in the ECOHIS score between the two groups.Conclusion: The similar impact of both interventions suggests the possibility of applying the simpler one, i.e., the educational pamphlet, fluoride varnish and frequent follow-ups. However, in the reminder group, the mothers' perception of their perceived ability to make children brush their teeth twice a day was improved.

Parental perspectives on early childhood caries: A qualitative study.

Early childhood caries (ECC) affects about 621 million children worldwide, causing chronic pain, infections, sleeping disorders, and tooth extraction. To determine perspectives of parents and caregivers of preschoolers regarding ECC. Three focus groups were conducted with attendees of the Clinics of Paediatric Dentistry from the Bauru School of Dentistry. The meetings were video- and audio-recorded, and the contents were transcribed verbatim. Then, textual passages were examined and coded using the software NVivo 12 Plus. The participants associated the presence of dental caries lesions with negative consequences for children, such as problems for permanent dentition, discrimination, and psychological damages. Although regular oral hygiene and healthy diet were recognized as important factors for the prevention of ECC, specific doubts about feeding, toothpaste usage, oral hygiene, and dental eruption were detected among parents. Additionally, they declared that their children brush teeth alone, intake fermentable carbohydrates frequently, and sleep during breastfeeding without dental plaque removal, because uncooperativeness, permissiveness, and convenience. Based on these results, parents and caregivers understand the unfavourable effects of ECC on children's quality of life; however, their attitudes against the disease seemed to be inaccurate, influenced by their daily routines, doubts, and beliefs.

Oral Health Practices And Status Of 12-Year-Old Pupils In The Western Region Of Cameroon

Dental caries, though common, presents with considerable variation in occurrence between countries, regions within countries, areas within regions, and among social and ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to describe the oral health status and practices of primary school children in the western region of Cameroon.&#x0D; This was a comparative descriptive cross sectional study took place in April to October 2018 in primary schools located in three localities (Urban, semi urban and rural) of the West region of Cameroon using a multistage random (cluster) sampling technique.&#x0D; There were a predominance of female pupils 265(54.9 %) than males 218 (45.1 %) and 411 (85.1 %) of the pupils had toothbrushes with the majority from urban areas 142 (94.7%). The frequency of brushing was higher in urban than the semi-urban and rural areas and 212 (50.5) of them brushed teeth once a day and nearly half 184 (43.8) twice daily. More than half 238 (56.7) of the children brush before breakfast wake up less than half brush 176 (42%) brush after supper. Two third 280(66.8%) of the children brush their teeth with toothbrush and without toothpaste 54(39.4%) was higher in rural areas. Wood ash 7 (5.1%), soap 4(2.9%) and chewing sticks 3(2, 2%) were most frequently used for brushing in rural areas. The majority 395 (82 %) of the children had plaque, 73(15.1 %) presented with dental mal positions, 341 (70.6 %) with bleeding gums and 223 (46.2 %) had calculus which was predominant in lower incisors. The prevalence of dental caries in the entire population was 28.1%.The majority of pupils 346 (71.6 %) were caries free and 01 (0.2 %) had a missing tooth due to decay. None of the children presented with filled teeth. The mean DMFT was higher in the rural (0.39) as compared to the semi urban (0.18) and the urban (0.09) respectively. The mean DMFT index of the entire population was 0.28 while 135(27.9%) of the pupils presented with enamel caries which was predominant in the first permanent molar, 19 (47.2%) presented with deep caries mostly in the second deciduous molars and 8 (22.5%) presented with enamel caries on the second deciduous molars. Dental trauma 12 (2.5%) was mostly found in the upper central incisors. More than a third 61(36.1%) of the pupils who presented with gingivitis were from rural areas,43(25,4%) from semi urban, and 40(26.7%) from urban areas. Almost all the children who lived in semi-urban 157(92.9%) and in urban areas 150 (78.7%) consumed cariogenic diets. A third of the children who ate in-between meals lived in urban areas149 (34.2%) while 123 (72.8%) of the children in semi-urban areas were conscious of their oral hygiene, and 61 (37.2%) of the children’s food are controlled by the parents. Only 37 (7.7 %) of the children have done have ever been to a dentist.&#x0D; The prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases and other orofacial lesions in the western region of Cameroon was low. Dental caries was found to be higher in rural and urban areas.&#x0D; Collaboration between the ministries of health and basic education is necessary as a measure to institute oral health education in primary schools. This will go a long way to reduce inequalities in oral health by improving in the oral practices.

Crèche Toothbrushing Program; Dental Awareness and Perception of Parents and Teachers

School toothbrushing programs are implemented throughout the world as a means of providing supplementary fluoride to the developing teeth of young children, as prevention against dental caries. Throughout the literature, parental and teacher involvement has been highlighted to be pivotal to the success of school toothbrushing program. Objectives: the aim of this research is to ascertain parental and teacher awareness and perception of the creche toothbrushing activity in Seychelles. Methods: Questionnaire survey of parents and teachers of creche year two children of the three state schools enrolled in the creche toothbrushing pilot activity. Results: 70.2% of parents and 71.4% of teaching staffs of creche year two children of the three schools completed the respective questionnaire. 72.73% parents stated that their five year old children brush their teeth twice per day but the majority (42.42%) responded that these children brush their teeth by themselves with parental supervision. All parents and teachers participants were aware of the benefits of creche toothbrushing program and were unanimous that the program should continue, despite differing level of participation by teachers. Conclusion: Enhanced awareness and motivation for toothbrushing as well as children emerging as positive change agent in the family’s oral hygiene routine emerged as reported positive impacts of the creche toothbrushing. Co-ordinated effort by all stakeholders is required to address highlighted areas of improvement.

Design and sample characteristics of COordinated Oral health Promotion (CO-OP) Chicago: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

COordinated Oral health Promotion (CO-OP) Chicago is a two-arm cluster-randomized trial with a wait-list control. The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of an oral health community health worker (CHW) intervention to improve oral health behaviors in low-income, urban children under the age of three years. Exploratory aims will determine cost-effectiveness, and if any CHW intervention impact on child tooth brushing behaviors varies when CHWs are based out of a medical clinic compared to a community setting. This paper describes progress toward achieving these aims. Participating families were recruited from community social service centers and pediatric primary care medical clinics in Cook County, Illinois. Sites were cluster-randomized to CHW intervention or usual services (a wait-list control). The intervention is oral health support from CHWs delivered in four visits to individual families over one year. The trial sample consists of 420 child/caregiver dyads enrolled at the 20 participating sites over 11 months. Participant demographics varied across the sites, but primary outcomes values at baseline did not. Data on brushing frequency, plaque, and other oral health behaviors are collected at three timepoints: baseline, 6-, and 12-months. The primary analysis will assess differences in caregiver-reported child brushing frequency and observed plaque score between the two arms at 12-months. The trial is currently in the active intervention phase. The trial's cluster-randomized controlled design takes a real-world approach by integrating into existing health and social service agencies and collecting data in participant homes. Results will address an important child health disparity. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03397589. Clinical trial registrationUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Protocol Record 2017–1090. National Institutes of Dental & Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIDCR) Protocol Number: 17–074-E. NCT03397589

Oral hygiene status of primary school children

Background: The purpose of using tooth cleaning aids like chewing stick, toothbrush with locally made powder or fluoride containing toothpaste, is to attain good oral hygiene compatible with good oral health. Aim: To determine the oral hygiene status of public primary school children in a rural community in South-east Nigeria. Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive study of primary school children was done in a public primary school in Nkanu -West local Government Area of Enugu State. Ethical clearance for this study was sought and obtained, all participants who gave their assent were recruited. Socio-demographic data was obtained using interviewer -administered questionnaire. Oral hygiene status was determined using simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). After data collection, oral hygiene education and tooth brushing demonstrations were done. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20. P values &lt; 0.05 were accepted as being statistically significant. Results: 57(46.3%) males, 66(53.7%) females were seen and examined, giving a male to female ratio of about 1:1.2. The age range of the participants was 8 to 14 years with a mean age of 10.2 ± 1.4 years. The mean OHI-S score was 1.5 ± 0.4. 80 (65.0%) had fair oral hygiene, 41(33.3%) had good oral hygiene while 2(1.7%) had poor oral hygiene status. Majority of the school children brush their teeth once daily, using the horizontal scrub technique. Conclusion: In this study, most of the school children had fair oral hygiene status. Good oral hygiene status was seen more among 9-10 year old children, while fair oral hygiene status was seen more among 10-11 year children. The association between oral hygiene status with age or gender was not statistically significant.

Oral health status of disabled children attending special schools of Dhaka city

Background: Children with disabilities and special needs present unique challenges for oral health professionals in the planning and carrying out of dental treatment. oral health care workers need to take cognizance of when preparing treatment plans for children with special needs. Children with disabilities are considered to be a high risk group for dental diseases specially dental caries and periodontal disease. High rates of dental caries, missing teeth, periodontal disease and malocclusion are all indicators of poor oral health of children with disabilities.&#x0D; Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status of disabled children in special schools of Dhaka city.&#x0D; Study design: This was a cross sectional study.&#x0D; Study settings and period: The study was conducted in two elementary schools at mirpur area of Dhaka city in the period between of between february 2014 to January 2015.&#x0D; Subjects: 200 disabled children with the age range from 6 to 14 belonging to six different disability groups were examined. Participants were grouped according to their type of disability autistic children, Down syndrome, Cerebralpulsy, mute and deaf, blind and physical disability.&#x0D; Methods: Data was collected by using semi structured quationnaire and checklist.Datawere analyzed by statistical package of social science(SPSS- 20).&#x0D; Results: According to disability the participants autistic 44%, cerebral pulsy 37%, down syndrome 35%, blind 28%, deaf and mute 30% and physical disability 30%.The average number of decayed tooth was found 6.89%. Mean DMFT value was 4.75. Average number of missing tooth was 1.89%.Prevalence of dental caries highest 71% in autistic children then other cetagory of disabilty .Oral hygiene practice of the respondent found very poor.76% children brush teeth in the morning and once in a day.49% respondent use toothpick to clean food from in between teeth.37% of the respondent never visited to dentist. 34.5% respondents had normal gingiva, 49% had mild gingivitis and 16.5% had marked gingivitis. Highest numbers of trauma cases were recorded in visually impaired group. 98.7% children required some form of dental treatment.&#x0D; Conclusion: Oral health status of children with disabilities was poor and it is important to concentrate on a preventive approach and provide proper dental education to parents of disabled childrens. More attention should be paid to the oral hygiene practice of disabled children&#x0D; Update Dent. Coll. j: 2019; 9 (2): 32-35

Do Parenting Styles Affect Children's Oral Health in Saudi Arabia?

ObjectiveThe purpose of the study is to correlate the parenting styles of parents with the oral health of their children, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Study designTwo hundred and eighty healthy preschool children, who have never been to the dentist, were recruited. Parenting style was determined by the Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and simplified debris index (DI-S) were used for the diagnosis of dental caries and oral hygiene of the children respectively.ResultsTwo parenting styles were identified among Saudi parents; authoritative (94%, n = 265) and permissive (6%, n = 17). The majority of children were brushing by themselves (n = 130, 46.1%) and once per day (n = 163, 57.8%). Significant correlations were detected between parenting style and children’s brushing times (P-value of 0.016) and the number of meals consumed by children (P-value of 0.031). The age of the child and oral hygiene score were significantly correlated to dental caries (P-value < 0.05).ConclusionTwo parenting styles were identified among Saudi parents. Parenting style influenced the child’s oral health but not significantly. Early childhood caries and fair to poor oral hygiene were commonly detected among children. Clinically interesting correlations were identified regarding factors affecting the child’s oral health status.

Influence of nutritional and oral hygiene habits on oral health in Croatian island children of school age.

The aim of this cross-sectional (analytical) study was to investigate the influence of nutritional and hygienic habits on oral health in children. There were 143 children aged six to thirteen years attending primary school Blato, Blato, Croatia who participated in this study. Children were divided into groups according to age in younger primary school children (6-9 years old, n=82) and older primary school children (10-13 years old, n=61): according to gender in males (n=53) and females (n=90). The study was conducted by using a questionnaire of nutritional and hygienic habits and clinical dental examination. Decayed-missed-filled tooth index (DMFT) and plaque index were calculated. DIAGNOdent pen was used to assess caries presence on the first permanent molars. There are no statistically significant differences in the consumption of sugar and sweetened beverages among the tested groups. There were 124 (86.71%) children brushing their teeth one or more times a day. The DMFT index for older children (10-13 years, DMFT=2.66±2.45) was significantly higher (p <0.001) than the DMFT index in younger children (6-9 years, DMFT=1.08±1.36). There is no statistically significant difference in the DMFT index between the sexes (p = 0.405). Results obtained by comparing the plaque index value among children of different ages and sexes show that there are no statistically significant differences among the comparable groups as well as the values obtained with the device KaVo DIAGNodent Pen in both groups (age and gender). Statistical analysis was carried out using the MedCalc for Windows software version 11.5.1.0 (MedCalc software, Mariakerke, Belgium). For comparison of continuous variables, the Mann-Whitney U test was used, and a ?2-test was used to compare the category variables. The level of statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results of this study showed that DMFT index is higher in older children than in younger children although their nutritional and oral hygiene habits are similar. Oral health in children of different sexes was the same as well as their nutritional and oral hygiene habits.

A Qualitative Study of Child Nutrition and Oral Health in El Salvador.

The nutrition transition from traditional diets to processed snacks and sugary beverages has contributed to a higher burden of child malnutrition, obesity, and tooth decay. While child health interventions typically promote nutritious eating, they rarely promote oral health. Mothers’ motivations for child nutrition and oral health practices need to be better understood. A convenience sample of 102 mothers in eight rural Salvadoran communities participated in focus groups addressing child nutrition and oral health. Focus groups were transcribed and coded using qualitative content analysis. Primary themes included generational changes in health environments; health knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and access and barriers to health services. Mothers noted general improvements in awareness of oral hygiene but poorer child oral health, which they attributed to widespread sales of unhealthy snacks and beverages near schools. Distance and cost limited families’ access to dental services. Knowledge gaps included the belief that oral iron supplements cause tooth decay, uncertainty regarding when to start tooth brushing, and until when parents should help children brush. Maternal-child health programs should emphasize the adverse health consequences of feeding young children processed snacks and sugary drinks, and promote dental care access and regulations to ensure health-promoting environments surrounding schools.