Teeth In Children Research Articles

Systematic Review of the Relationship between Vitamin D Deficiency and Delayed Teething in Children and Infants

Background: In oral health, there has been an increasing focus on vitamin D (VD) levels. VD deficiency (VDD) is linked to a broad range of oral health issues during growth and maturity, and reduced VD synthesis may hasten the onset of some of these illnesses. Severe VDD in children can lead to poor tooth mineralization, which can lead to dentin and enamel abnormalities. Consequently, there's a chance that these flaws will raise the chance of dental caries developing and spreading. Objectives: This study's main goal was to determine how vitamin D insufficiency affects children's and newborns' delayed teething. Methodology: We conducted a thorough search of PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Science Direct to find pertinent literature. The Rayyan QRCI was utilized during the whole operation. Results: The timing of the eruption and the amounts of vitamin D were shown to be significantly correlated (P < 0.001). Compared to infants with sufficient-to-optimal values of 25(OH)D (≥50.0 nmol/L) at birth, children with vitamin D deficiency at birth showed greater dental ages, higher developmental stages of the mandibular second premolar, and higher developmental stages of the mandibular second molar. Furthermore, compared to children with appropriate levels of vitamin D, those with a deficiency were 2.5 times more likely to have delayed teething. Additionally, the usual teething group had a mean blood vitamin D level of 26.8 ng/mL, whereas the delayed teething group had a mean level of 20.3 ng/mL. Conclusion: Studies from Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, the United States, and Egypt have all underlined the effect that vitamin D insufficiency has on delayed teething in newborns and children. These findings emphasize the significance of maintaining appropriate vitamin D levels for healthy dental development by showing a continuous link between low levels of the vitamin and delayed teething eruption. Moreover, studies indicate that vitamin D concentrations in mothers and newborns may also influence how children's teeth develop. Promoting children's oral health outcomes requires addressing vitamin D insufficiency through suitable therapies and public health policies.

Inequalities in children’s tooth decay requiring dental extraction under general anaesthetic: a longitudinal study using linked electronic health records

BackgroundDental extraction under general anaesthetic (DGA) is the most severe and irreversible dental treatment for childhood tooth decay. We investigated inequalities in DGA in an ethnically diverse, disadvantaged school-age population...

Effectiveness of Using Linanty Smart Dent Alarm As A Reminder to Brush Teeth for Primary School Age Children In Medan City

According to the data on the number of dental caries in elementary school students in Medan City is quite high, with an average value of caries of 6, meaning that there are 6 caries teeth in each child's oral cavity, One of the efforts made to remind and attract the attention of children to routinely brush their teeth properly and correctly is to make a media, introduce and use a reminder alarm to brush children's teeth that is packaged as attractive as possible, Embedded brushing song also as an alarm tone. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of using Linanty Smart Dent Alarm as a reminder to brush the teeth of elementary school-age children in the city of Medan. The first year of research (in 2023) carried out the creation of Linanty Smart Dent Alarm, to produce Alarm media embedded with brushing songs, the distal alarm sounds at the time of 2 minimum brushing times, namely, after breakfast and before going to bed at night. In obtaining the results of Linanty Smart Dent Alarm, trials were carried out by experts, namely by media experts, psychologists and education experts. In obtaining the results of Linanty Smart Dent Alarm, trials were carried out by experts, namely by media experts, psychologists and education experts and tested for feasibility by elementary school students. Due diligence results of 86.7% stated that Linanty Smart Dent Alarm is useful and very feasible to use.

Aprils Mophie Model Improves Toothbrushing Skills Of Intellectual Disabilities Children: Is It Effective?

Children with intellectual disabilities are children with below average intelligence who experience a decline in intellectual function, difficulty communicating and adaptive behavior, arising before the age of 18 years. This child has not been able to brush his teeth properly, for that audio-visual media is used as a tool that can be seen and heard in his delivery, one of which is the development of April's Mophie model to improve the toothbrushing skills of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. Produce April's Mophie model as a learning medium to improve toothbrushing skills in children with moderate intellectual impairment. Research using Research and Development (RD) method. Quasi-experimental research design (pre-post with control group design). Purposive sampling technique with 11 children of the intervention group and 11 children of the control group, with a duration of treatment given 21 days. Data were tested using Interclass Correlation Coefficient, Paired T-Test, Wilcoxon Test, and Mann-Withney. April's Mophie model showed a p-value of 0.000 which means that this model is feasible as an effort to improve toothbrushing skills in children with moderate intellectual impairment. The implementation of this model effectively increased the action of brushing children's teeth (p = 0.041), as well as a decrease in children's debris index (p = 0.037) compared to the control group. April's Mophie model effectively improves toothbrushing skills in moderately impaired children.

Validation of an improved questionnaire assessing the social cognitive constructs of the Health Action Process Approach among parents regarding brushing their children's teeth.

The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) describes social cognitive constructs related to behaviour change. A validated questionnaire is needed to measure these constructs in paediatric dentistry. The aim of this study was to improve an existing HAPA-based questionnaire for parents regarding brushing their children's teeth and to assess its validity and reliability in a population of parents of high caries risk children. Parents of high caries risk children of 3-10 years filled out the adjusted HAPA-based questionnaire. Mokken scale analysis, graded response model analyses, factor analyses and reliability analyses were performed according to the protocol of Dima. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the mean scores of the HAPA constructs between two groups of participants, based on different levels of caries experience, brushing frequency and education level of the mother. The Mokken scale analysis and factor analyses indicated a multidimensional eight factor scale. The graded response model did not fit our data. The subscale action control could be identified as a two-factor subscale. Reliability indices from the Dima protocol varied, for instance Cronbach alpha ranged from 0.73 to 0.96. The constructs coping self-efficacy, action planning and action control discriminated between brushing frequencies. The adjusted HAPA-based questionnaire is an improved, valid and reliable instrument that could be used to evaluate HAPA-based interventions to improve children's oral health.

Parents' Knowledge and Awareness About the Importance of Primary Teeth and Space Maintainers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Primary teeth are important for eating, speaking, and esthetics, as well as for guiding the eruption and maintaining the space for the permanent teeth. The best space maintainers (SM) for permanent dentition are the natural primary teeth. The aim of this study was to assess parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of primary teeth and SM in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study invited parents who were living in Saudi Arabia via different social media platforms to complete a validated questionnaire. The data collected included demographic characteristics, questions about parents' knowledge of their children's oral hygiene, and the importance of primary teeth, as well as questions about knowledge of SM. A total of 392 participants completed the questionnaire. Dental problems and pain were the most common reasons for visiting the pediatric dentist (n=260; 66.3%). With respect to the age at which the first primary tooth erupted, more than half of the parents (n=270; 68.9%) knew the correct age. Only 43.3% (n=168) of the parents had received any information about SM and only 39.5% (n=155) of them knew their purpose. Most parents agree that treating primary teeth is important for their children's oral health and development. However, most are unaware of an SM's purpose. We recommend that dentists discuss SM's importance with parents actively after extracting their child's teeth. This will help increase parents' awareness and understanding of SM and encourage them to be more informed about this dental treatment option.

Evaluation of children's oral diagnosis and treatment using imaging examination using AI based Internet of Things.

Although cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases, its image segmentation method needs to be further improved, and there are still objections about the clinical application effect of general anesthesia (GA) on children's dental fear (CDF). This study aimed to investigate the application value of CBCT based on intelligent computer segmentation model in oral diagnosis and treatment of children in the context of biomedical signals, and to analyze the alleviating effect of GA on CDF. Based on the regional level set (CV) algorithm, the local binary fitting (LBF) model was introduced to optimize it, and the tooth CBCT image segmentation model CV-LBF was established to compare the segmentation accuracy (SA), maximum symmetric surface distance (MSSD), average symmetric surface distance (ASSD), over segmentation rate (OR), and under segmentation rate (UR) between these model and other algorithms. 82 children with CDF were divided into general anesthesia group (GAG) (n= 38) and controls (n= 44) according to the voluntary principle of their families. Children in GAG were treated with GA and controls with protective fixed intervention. Children's fear survey schedule-dental subscale (CFSS-DS) and Venham scores were counted before intervention in the two groups. CFSS-DS scores were recorded at 2 hours after intervention and after recovery in children in GAG. CFSS-DS and Venham scores were performed in all children 1 week after surgery. The results showed that the S⁢A value of CV-LBF algorithm was higher than that of region growing algorithm (P< 0.05). OR, UR, MSSD, and ASSD values of CV-LBF algorithm were evidently lower than those of other algorithms (P< 0.05). CFSS-DS scores were lower in GAG than in controls 2 hours after intervention and at return visits after 1 week of intervention (P< 0.001), and Venham scores were lower in GAG than in controls after intervention (P< 0.001). After intervention, the proportion of children with Venham grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 was obviously higher in GAG than in controls (P< 0.001), while the proportion of children with Venham grade 4 and 5 was clearly higher in controls than in GAG (P< 0.001). The results revealed that the computer intelligent segmentation model CV-LBF has potential application value in CBCT image segmentation of children's teeth, and GA can effectively alleviate anxiety of children with CDF and can be used as biomedical signals.

Associations between prenatal metal and metalloid mixtures in teeth and reductions in childhood lung function

BackgroundMetal(oid)s have been cross-sectionally associated with lung function outcomes in childhood but there is limited data on their combined effects starting in utero. Child sex may further modify these effects. ObjectiveExamine associations between in utero and early life exposure to metals assessed via novel dentine biomarkers and childhood lung function and explore effect modification by child sex. MethodsAnalyses included 291 children enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) study, a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City. Weekly dentine levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were measured from 15 weeks pre-birth to 15 weeks post birth in deciduous children's teeth. Lung function was tested at ages 8–14 years and then modeled as age, height and sex adjusted z-scores. Associations were modeled using lagged weighted quantile sum (LWQS) regression to evaluate the potential for a time-varying mixture effect adjusting for maternal age and education at enrollment and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in pregnancy. Models were also stratified by sex. ResultsWe identified a window of susceptibility at 12–15 weeks pre-birth in which the metal mixture was associated with lower FVC z-scores in children aged 8–14 years. Cd and Mn were the largest contributors to the mixture effect (70 %). There was also some evidence of effect modification by sex, in which the mean weights and weighted correlations over the identified window was more evident in males when compared to females. In the male stratum, Cd, Mn and additionally Pb also dominated the mixture association. ConclusionsPrenatal metal(oid) exposure was associated with lower lung function in childhood. These findings underscore the need to consider both mixtures and windows of susceptibility to fully elucidate effects of prenatal metal(oid) exposure on childhood lung function.

Effective prevention of secondary caries in children’s permanent teeth using oral hygiene products

Relevance. In Russia, caries prevalence rate in permanent teeth of 12- year-olds is 75, 6%, and in 15-year-olds, it is 87, 5%. Alongside with high prevalence of caries in permanent children’s teeth, the problem of secondary caries is very significant as well. Toothpastes containing fluoride use for caries prevention. Now, there are known toothpastes containing hydroxyapatite enriched with complex (PGC) with amino acid threonine. It is advisable to study this paste effect on secondary caries occurrence.Materials and methods. Clinical and laboratory examinations and treatment of 92 children, aged 7 to 15, aged (97 teeth) were carried out during one year. They were given dental treatment, including that of dentine caries, in permanent teeth (K02.1). Fillings marginal integrity was assessed using G. Ryge (1998) criterion and electrometry method. Carious process intensity in study groups was determined using indices DMFS and ICDAS-II (code I, code II).Results. In group using toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite enriched with complex (PGC) with amino acid threonine, frequency of unsatisfactory restorations was detected only in 6% of cases; in group using fluoride containing pastes – 12%. Electrical conductivity of hard tissues in these groups increased only by 9,6 % and 36% respectively. Frequency of restorations with secondary caries signs at the end of the study was 27% in group with no preventive measures, and according to electrometric method, electrical conductivity at the border of fillings with hard dental tissues increased by 130%. Reduction of caries growth in group using toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite was 78,6%, in group with fluoride containing toothpaste – 64,3%.Conclusion. Application of a toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite enriched with Polyol Germanium Complex with amino acid threonine increases efficiency of secondary caries prevention in children's permanent teeth.

How well do parents identify their child's baby teeth? Engagement and accuracy of parent-reported information on a tooth checklist survey.

Naturally exfoliated primary teeth are being increasingly collected in child development studies. Most of these odontological collections and tooth biobanks use parent-reported information from questionnaires or tooth checklists to collect data on offspring teeth. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have assessed parental engagement in tooth checklists, nor parental accuracy in identifying their child's baby tooth. This study aimed to evaluate these dimensions by analysing data from the about this tooth checklist returned with donated primary teeth in a natural experimental study called STRONG (the Stories Teeth Record of Newborn Growth). Parental self-reported information were analysed on checklists returned with 825 primary teeth belonging to 199 children. The percentage of blank answers was calculated for each question. The accuracy of parents-reported tooth identification was evaluated by comparing parental ratings to researchers' ratings. Reliability of researchers' tooth identification was first evaluated by calculating intra-observer and inter-observer agreements, as well as Cohen's Kappa values. The percentage of accuracy of parents' tooth identification (relative to researcher's) was then calculated, and logistic regressions were used to evaluate if time elapsed between when exfoliation occurred and the checklist was completed associated with parental accuracy in tooth identification. Parents returned 98.4% of the checklists and completed 74.9% to 97.7% of the questions. Excellent reliability was demonstrated for researchers' intra- and inter-rater tooth identification (agreement percentages >90%; Cohen's Kappa values >.83). Moderate accuracy of parents-reported tooth identifications was found, with parents correctly identifying 49.5% of the donated tooth. Better parental accuracies were highlighted for partial identifications (87.1% of correct jaw, 75.6% of correct tooth type, and 65.8% of correct lateralization). Logistic regressions showed the odds of correct parental identifications decreased on average by 1.8% every 30 days of distance between tooth exfoliation and checklist completion. While parental engagement is high, parents-reported tooth identifications have moderate accuracy, which decreases over time. High accuracy is however found for partial identifications. Parent-reported information on the accompanying questionnaire of naturally exfoliated primary teeth collection or tooth biobanks, even when filled in a long time after exfoliation took place, should be encouraged. However, expert identifications of teeth should remain best practice.

Parental acceptability of silver diamine fluoride: The UK and US experiences.

International data suggest that parents may have reservations about the use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF). The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the acceptance of parents/carers towards the use of SDF for the management of caries in children's primary teeth in secondary care dental settings in the UK and the United States and (2) determine which factors may affect the acceptance of the use of SDF. This was a cross-sectional questionnaire of SDF acceptability, completed by parents of young children. It was validated and adapted to local populations. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 113 Sheffield parents, 73% reported that they would accept SDF treatment of children's posterior teeth, with 58% reporting this for anterior teeth. Parents having less concern about posterior aesthetics had a statistically significant effect on reported acceptance of SDF (p = .013). In the Colorado sample (n = 104), 72% reported that they would accept SDF on posterior teeth, and 58% reported that they would accept SDF on anterior teeth. Concerns about aesthetics had an effect on decreasing SDF acceptance overall (p = .0065) in anterior (p = .023) and posterior teeth (p = .108). The majority of parents in the two study populations accepted the treatment using SDF. However, concern about aesthetics had an influence on acceptability.

Current Status and Family Factors Influencing Caries in the Deciduous Teeth of Children 3-6 Years of Age in Families Residing in Rural Heishanzui Township.

To determine the caries status in children's deciduous teeth and examine the influence of family oral health behaviours on the caries status. This cross-sectional study included 329 children aged 3-6 years in rural Heishanzui Township, Hebei Province, China, and used a completely random sampling method. These children underwent physical and oral health examinations. The questionnaires were given to the parents and caregivers of the examined children. The prevalence of caries in the deciduous dentition among children aged 3-6 years was 80.55%, with a dmft index of 4.93. Children in the caries group ate sweets, chocolates, and carbonated drinks more frequently than did children in the caries-free group (p < 0.05). Children in the caries-free group brushed their teeth more frequently, with parents helping their children brush, more often than did those in the caries-affected group (p < 0.05). The level of parental education and annual household income also had statistically significant effects on the prevalence of caries in the two groups (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the frequency of eating sweets was a risk factor for caries in deciduous teeth (odds ratio = 2.20; p < 0.05). The prevalence of caries in deciduous teeth among children aged 3-6 years in rural Heishanzui Township was high. Compared to children in the caries-affected group, the families and children in the caries-free group had better oral hygiene behaviours. Moreover, the frequency of eating sweets was shown to be a risk factor for caries in deciduous teeth in children aged 3-6 years.

Parental use and acceptance of an accessible, commercially available intraoral camera for teledentistry in their children.

The potential of combining teledentistry and engaging parents as underutilised resources to monitor paediatric dental health was emphasised during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains underexplored. This study aims to assess parental acceptance and use of a commercially available intraoral camera (IOC) for effective remote monitoring. 47 child-parent dyads, where the parent was the main caregiver and the child was treated under general anaesthesia for early childhood caries, were recruited. Caregivers were trained to image their child's teeth on a commercially available IOC. Subsequently, submitted images were reviewed asynchronously by dentists for image quality, presence of dislodged fillings, abscesses, cavitation, and oral hygiene. Post-surgery monitoring was performed using teledentistry at 1 and 2months and in-person at 4months. A modified Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) was used to record caregiver acceptance for study procedures. A mean TUQ of 6.09 out of 7 was scored by caregivers. Caregiver-reported issues were limited to problems with technique and child uncooperativeness. The number of clear images during the second teledentistry review was improved compared to the first (p = 0.007). 68% of children liked having images of their teeth taken. This study supports the feasibility of using an IOC as a clinically appropriate avenue for teledentistry with a high level of caregiver-child acceptance.

Need for Local Anesthesia in Treatment of Temporary and Permanent Teeth in Children

Need for Local Anesthesia in Treatment of Temporary and Permanent Teeth in Children

A Cross-Sectional Study Looked into the Incidence of Early Missing Primary Teeth in Children Aged 6 to 12 in the Southern Iraqi City of Nasiriya

Objectives: One of the potential risk factors for poor dental arch length growth, which in turn affects the formation of permanent teeth, is the early loss of primary teeth, which is common in childhood dental disease. For the formation of permanent teeth, the dental arch must be the proper length. The length of the weak arc may cause crowding, preterm birth, or impaction of these teeth, which could harm the student's health and development throughout the course of their life. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of early primary tooth loss in students aged 6 to 12 years old. Materials and Methods: 259 students made up the study group, 135 boys and 124 girls. An expert examiner performed the dental examination in an environment with enough artificial light. The age of the patient and the number of lost teeth were recorded. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, and based on the findings, Chi-square tests were conducted at a level of significance of 5% (P 0.05). Results: Boys lost their primary teeth at a rate of 49%, while girls of the same age lost their teeth at a slightly higher rate of 51%. The study also revealed that first molars (42.6%) are the dental arch's most often missing teeth. Conclusion: In the study group, there was a high prevalence of early loss of primary teeth, students could retain a healthy primary dentition and eventually avoid disruptions in the development of appropriate occlusion with the support of effective educational and preventive programs for oral health. Reducing malocclusion issues would be made possible with the early detection and treatment of the space issues brought on by the early loss of primary teeth.

Powtoon Media in the Whatsapp Group Application on Dental Hygiene Behavior in Primary School Children

Preventive measures such as brushing teeth are still considered not good for children. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Data and Data Center in 2018, it was stated that tooth brushing behavior based on age groups in Indonesia, namely the daily brushing behavior of children aged 10-14 years, had a percentage of 96.5% with the percentage of correct tooth brushing time being 2.1%. Riskesdas states that the percentage of brushing teeth correctly is 2.8%. Promotional efforts that can be made are Dental Health Education. Apart from being carried out on children, this effort can also be carried out on parents, especially mothers. Powtoon as a multimedia application that can be used as a learning medium has several advantages, including very interesting animation features such as handwritten animation, cartoon animation and lively transition effects as well as easy timeline management. The research method and stages are development research to produce media products, then to see the effect of media use, a quasi-experimental method with one group pretest and posttest design is used. Research Results: Powtoon media for dental health education because of FGD with media experts, health promotion experts and dental health promotion media has been created with the results of expert validation and declared suitable for use as a media for Dental Health Education. Test the influence of powtoon media on children's teeth brushing practices and parents' knowledge using Wilcoxon test analysis with a p-value of 0.000 &lt; 0.005, which means there is a significant influence.

RELATIONSHIP OF SANITATION AND SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS TO CARIES SEVERITY

Background: Riskesdas stated the prevalence of caries in children aged 5-9 years in Indonesia in 2018 was 92.6%. External caries factors consist of environment, behavior, health services, and heredity. The physical environment is one of the health environments that contributes the most to health status, including dental and oral health. Sanitation with the Community-Based Total Sanitation (STBM) program is part of the physical environment. The STBM pillars consist of: stopping open defecation, washing hands with soap, drinking water and food management, waste management, and liquid waste management. Behavioral predisposing factors include parents' socioeconomic status which is determined by education, occupation, and income. Socioeconomic status affects the ability of parents to care for their children's teeth. Purpose: To analyze the relationship between sanitation and socioeconomic status of parents on the severity of caries in kindergarten children. Methods: This research is an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional method. The respondents of this study were 49 children of TK Al Hidayah in Mandiangin Barat Village, Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan Province. Data collection includes questionnaires and the def-t assessment sheet. Results: Spearman correlation test p=0.435 showed no relationship between sanitation and caries severity. Spearman correlation test p=0.0001 showed that there was a relationship between the socioeconomic status of parents and the severity of caries. The correlation coefficient -0.519 indicates a medium strength relationship in the opposite direction. Conclusion: There is no relationship between sanitation and caries severity. There is a relationship between the socioeconomic status of parents with the severity of caries. Keywords: def-t index, Socio-economic, STBM.

Occlusion and Nutrition after Peadiatric Prosthetic Treatment

Nutritional and well-balanced food intake is of utmost importance for children's proper physical development and growth. Changes in masticatory structures are likely to cause significant change in both children's and adult's diet. The aim of this study is to examine the occlusion and the intake of macronutrients in children who have undergone dental treatment and restoration of the teeth affected by caries and its complications with different types of aesthetic crowns.&#x0D; The study included 103 children, which are prosthetically treated with crown structures and divided into four age groups. The restoration of the occlusal balance after the completion of the prosthetic treatment was established by means of a new generation of digital recording system (OccluSense by Bausch, Germany). A 24-hour diary on consumed foods and liquids was taken from children and their parents. Data is analyzed and processed statistically.&#x0D; The obtained results in all studied diagrams showed an increase in the occlusal forces bilaterally in the distal areas of the dentition in the anterior-posterior direction. Protein and carbohydrate intake by the tested children corresponded to the recommended range of 15.2±3.7 E% and 46.6±7.8 E%. Increased fat intake of 38.1±7.5 E%, as well as fibre consumption below the recommended values (13.6 g to 18.6 g) have also been observed.&#x0D; Dental restoration of heavily damaged children's teeth using prosthetic dentistry methods provides the opportunity for a normal intake of the main macronutrients.

Detection of Caries Coronal Condition Prevalence of Permanent Teeth in Children using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System for Measuring Dental Caries: A Cross-sectional Study

Detection of Caries Coronal Condition Prevalence of Permanent Teeth in Children using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System for Measuring Dental Caries: A Cross-sectional Study

Early Childhood Caries and Dental Care Utilization in Mangalore, India: Parents' Perceptions.

Parents often underuse dental care services for their children with early childhood caries (ECC), resulting in a high burden of untreated dental caries. To describe parental perceptions and challenges in dental care utilization for their children with ECC. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with parents of children with ECC seeking dental care in Mangalore, India. Data were collected through focus group discussions using an interview guide. Manual line-by-line coding and content analysis methods were used for data analysis. Three categories were generated from data obtained through 5 focus groups of 27 participants: dental care visiting patterns, the significance of dental visits, and challenges to dental care utilization. Parents would only visit the dentist when they perceived their children's tooth problems. The challenges faced include time constraints, misinformation, lack of awareness and motivation, costs, fear, and anxiety of the children and the parents themselves. Parents perceived improvements in the awareness of their children's oral health and quality of life after dental visits. Attending dental services to treat their children's tooth problems was the primary way of attaining awareness about prevention among the parents of children with ECC. Increased oral health awareness and improved quality of life can motivate parents to seek further dental care for their children. Collaboration with multidisciplinary stakeholders is required to improve oral health awareness among parents of children with ECC. The study's results will help plan targeted preventive programs for children with ECC. The study suggests dental care utilization by children with ECC is based on parental perceptions of their children's tooth problems. It outlines the challenges that affect dental visits of children with ECC and the role of multidisciplinary stakeholders. Improved oral health awareness and quality of life following dental treatment can facilitate further dental visits.