Oral Health Status Of Children Research Articles

Oral microbiota imbalance: A predisposing factor for Henoch-Schönlein Purpura in children

Oral microecological dysregulation has been shown to be associated with various immune system disorders. Henoch-schonlein purpura (HSP) is an autoimmune small vessel inflammatory disease in children of uncertain etiology, and studies have suggested that streptococcal infection may be an influential factor in its development. However, the relationship between oral microecological dysregulation and HSP has not been clearly studied so far. In this study, an epidemiological survey on the oral health status of children with HSP was investigated in this paper, and collected dental plaque from four groups of children for 16SrDNA high-throughput sequencing to analyze the composition and changes of oral microbial diversity among different groups. The results showed that the oral health status of children with HSP was poor, except for the incidence of caries in the 5-year-old group, the caries rate and dmfs/DMFS in the 3,4 and 5-year-old groups were higher than the same age in the fourth Chinese Oral Health Epidemiological Survey. Moreover, the development of HSP is accompanied by disturbances in the oral microbiota; a decrease in the number of Firmicutes which producing butyric acid may be closely associated with the development of HSP; changes in the abundance of Streptococcus and Neisseria may be a risk factor for the development of HSP.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Children's Dental Care Programs: A Retrospective Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of children's dental care programs on children and adolescents to reduce oral health inequalities. It measured and assessed the improvement effects of children's dental care programs on the oral health of children and adolescents as part of the efforts to decrease oral health disparities in this age group. It included 406 individuals who participated in student and children's dental care program between 2013 and 2019 at screening facilities in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. A frequency analysis was conducted for demographic characteristics, and a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the prevalence of dental caries as the dependent variable. The data were analyzed using PASW Statistics with the statistical significance level set at α = 0.05. Regarding oral health status based on the frequency of participation in children's dental care program for children and adolescents, participants with seven or more sessions had lower prevalence rates of dental caries, malocclusion, and periodontal disease than those with only one session. Second, when comparing oral health status in children's dental care program between primary and adolescent age groups, individuals under continuous oral health care showed a decrease in permanent teeth affected by dental caries, dental caries prevalence, and malocclusion prevalence (excluding primary school age). Third, a binary logistic regression analysis revealed significant influences (p < 0.05) of the developmental stage and frequency of program participation on dental caries prevalence. Children's dental care programs are essential for alleviating oral health inequalities among children and adolescents and preventing oral diseases. Furthermore, the developmental stage of children and the frequency of program participation are crucial factors in preventing oral conditions, such as dental caries.

Psychology of pregnant females regarding perinatal oral health

Aim: To evaluate the attitude, behaviour, experience and knowledge of pregnant females regarding perinatal oral health in rural population of Faridabad. Methodology: Data was collected through personal interview. Eleven questions related to knowledge, attitude, experience and behaviour were asked. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS version 21. Results: About one- fourth of the study population experienced adverse effects on oral health during pregnancy and their knowledge was also found to be poor with respect to perinatal oral health maintenance. They also reported ill behaviours to manage morning sickness. Despite this, their attitude towards maintenance of perinatal oral health was found to be positive. Conclusion: The dental status of the child is a direct reflection of maternal oral condition in pregnancy. Thus, there is a need for educational oral health interventions in pregnant women to improve their own and children oral health status. Keywords: Perinatal, Oral health, Pregnancy, Rural population 

Oral Health Status and Care Needs of People with Intellectual Disability in Specialized Centers of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

People with intellectual disabilities suffer from oral pain and discomfort twice as often as the general population. Their reduced cognitive and physical abilities, regular medication, and often the lack of a strong social support system lead to difficulties coping with the daily demands of life, including proper oral hygiene and nutrition. Having data on the oral health status of children and adolescents living with disabilities is crucial to reducing oral health inequalities within the population. The objectives of this study were to describe the main oral conditions, oral health behaviors and identify the care needs of people with intellectual disabilities in specialized centers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A descriptive transversal survey was conducted in the reception centers of intellectual disabled people benefiting from the subsidy of the Ministry of Women, National Solidarity, Family and Humanitarian Action. A questionnaire adapted for oral health surveys of the World Health Organization has been used for data collection that has been analyzed with Stata MP 16.0 software (College Station, Texas 77845, USA). Were included in the study 193 people with intellectual disabilities whose average age was 12.4 years ± 7.9. Our study reported that 74.0% had never visited a dentist and 19.0% of subjects did not clean their teeth. The overall prevalence of caries was 58.6% with 95% CI [51.2 - 65.8]. The frequencies of gingival bleeding and calculus were 63.8% and 63.4% respectively. The other pathologies were divided into 25.5% sialorrhea; 15.0% dental wear; 39.1% malocclusions; 19.2% dental anomalies and 14.4% dental trauma. Subjects who needed prompt and urgent care were 51.6%. This study made it possible to report the oral health behaviors and the main oral diseases encountered in people with intellectual disabilities and the care needs. Health promotion strategies focusing on simple interventions such as appropriate oral care would improve the general well-being of these vulnerable people.

Oral health care in children with disabilities: A narrative review

Children with disabilities face discrepancies in receiving oral health services due to several barriers. This article aims to provide an overview on the oral health status of children with disabilities, impact on Quality of Life of children with disabilities and their family members, approaches in oral health education and/or services, roles of medical/oral health care providers, carers/parents, and special schools/centres, and future aspiration concerning these children. Articles were searched using online databases (Google Scholar, MEDLINE/PubMed) using various terms. Additional articles were searched manually from the reference list of the previously searched articles. Children with disabilities showed a higher prevalence of caries and periodontal disease and had irregular dental visits owing to the limitations encountered by the carers/parents. The psychological and physical health of carers/parents, and the well-being of children with disabilities are interrelated, suggesting the need for a comprehensive support system to address the specific needs of these groups. Oral hygiene care services for these children could be improved using oral health education tools, strengthening dental outreach programs, and/or adopting behaviour modification techniques. Oral health in children with disabilities is a global concern, therefore a holistic approach addressing this problem from the individual to international level, including interprofessional collaboration is imperative.

A STEPwise Approach for Oral Hygiene Behavior of Schoolchildren in Romania.

This research analyzes the dental hygiene habits of schoolchildren from parents' perspectives, using the STEPS approach recommended by the World Health Organization. The key points of oral health care in children include the role of the family in encouraging and maintaining proper oral hygiene practices. This study aimed to assess the oral hygiene practices of schoolchildren with on-site dentists in Romania. Additionally, it sought to establish correlations between these behaviors and the educational levels of the adults with whom they live with. The participants were selected from the zero grade to the eighth grade, totaling 3843students. Statistical analysis involved the application of Fisher's Exact Test and Z-tests with Bonferroni correction. Multinominal and binominal logistic regression models were employed to predict the impact of parents' education on children's oral health status and behavior. The oral health status of children evaluated by parents as poor was more frequent in children whose parents had a primary or gymnasium education (p < 0.001). Female adults with a university education evaluated the gum health of their children as very good to a much greater extent (41.7%, p < 0.001). Regarding the use of auxiliary means, the majority of parents with a university education mentioned that their children use dental floss (26.4% females/27.4% males) (p < 0.001), compared to those with primary education, where the percentage was only (1.2% males/3.5% females) (p < 0.001). The results of this study highlight that the education level of the adults with whom the children live with influences the perception of the teeth and gums health status, the frequency of oral hygiene, the use of fluoride toothpaste, and auxiliary brushing aids.

Exploring Jordanian children and parents’ awareness, behavior, and perception of pediatric oral health

BackgroundTo evaluate children’s and parents’ practice and attitude toward oral hygiene and their knowledge about oral hygiene.MethodsThis cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on randomly selected children who were seen in the Pediatric dentistry clinic in different Royal Medical Services hospitals. A modified questionnaire was used to gather information from the child or parents to gather the child’s demographic data and evaluate the children’s and parents’ practice and attitude toward oral hygiene, their knowledge about oral hygiene, information about the parent and family, and oral examination, the questionnaire questions' reliability and validity were assessed by test–retest and Cronbach's Alpha test.ResultsThree hundred seventy four patients were included, and the average age was 5.06 ± 3.58 SD years. Children’s and parents’ practice toward oral hygiene was inadequate where the majority (83.3%) brush their teeth occasionally, change their toothbrushes infrequently, apply toothpaste inappropriately, and less than half (47.2%) clean their tongue after teeth brushing. A significant number (73%) of candidates were aware that oral health has a significant role in their general health and can prevent dental problems. Participants agreed that maintaining a healthy mouth is an individual responsibility. The majority of participants came from large family size (the average family members 6.1 ± 1.7 SD) who live below the poverty line.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that awareness of oral health status in children below the age of 12 was poor. Although their oral knowledge was good their attitude and behavior were inadequate. These findings urge the need for expanded, well-organized, preventive educational programs that include school’s syllabus, house visits, and hospitals for parents and children alike.

Household smoking impact on the oral health of 5- to 7-years-old children

BackgroundChildren’s exposure to secondhand smoke, particularly by their parents, could adversely affect their oral health. Thereby, this study aimed to assess the oral health status of children subjected to household smoking and the impact of smoking patterns on the severity of oral health deterioration.MethodsA total of 210 healthy children were enrolled in this case-control study and allocated into children subjected to household smoking (HS) and control groups. Participants’ guardians were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic characteristics and parental smoking habits. All participants were subjected to clinical dental examination to assess dental caries (ICDAS), hypomineralized primary molars (HSPM), and gingival status (GI). Stimulated saliva samples were collected to assess saliva composition and characteristics. Urine samples were collected and analyzed for cotinine concentration. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v.25) software at a test value of p ≤ 0.05. The t-student test was used to find significant differences between participants’ age, gingival index score, saliva pH, flow rate, sIgA, and cotinine level. The Chi-square test was used to test for the significance of parental employment, number of rooms, gender, sweets consumption, brushing frequency, and HMPM. The correspondence analysis was used to test for significance of parents’ levels of education, type of house ventilation, ICDAS score, smoking form, frequency, and smoking pattern. The correlation between cotinine level and sIgA was tested for association using Bivariate correlation test.ResultsThe HS group showed a significantly increased risk for dental caries (p < 0.000), HSPM lesions (p = 0.007), and GI score (p < 0.000). A significant reduction in salivary flow rate, saliva pH, and sIgA were evident in HS group (p < 0.000). Parental consumption of more than 20 cigarettes/day was accompanied by increased dental caries activity (p < 0.000) and higher risk for increased severity of gingival inflammation (p < 0.000) of children in the HS group. Children of parents who smoke cigarettes and use the hubble/bubble anywhere in the house found to have greater distribution of HSPM (p < 0.000). Reduced sIgA values were found to be significantly associated with increased cotinine concentrations in HS children (p < 0.000).ConclusionsFrequent exposure to household smoking could be associated with an increased risk of dental caries progression, enamel hypomineralization, gingival inflammation, and saliva characteristics changes in children.

HAART medication and oral health status in children and adolescent HIV infected: A case control study.

The advent of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) does influence the overall oral health care of children. The children undergoing HAART have shown an increase in caries activity owing to sugars in medicines to make them more palatable. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the Oral Health of Children Living with HIV/AIDS (CLHAs) and Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS (ALHAs) undergoing HAART and those who are HAART-naïve. This study was carried out at different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) across Kerala, India. The study group consisted of 150 HIV-infected children aged 6-18 years. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised of children prior to onset of HAART and Group 2 included children who had been on HAART for more than 3 years (HAART naïve). The assessment of dental caries status and dental plaque status was done. The observations were tabulated and statistically analyzed. On Statistical Analysis, significant difference was noted between the groups with the Group 1(2.26±0.58;p value=.000* ) showing higher scores of dental plaque and a significant difference was also observed with respect to dental caries scores with DMFT and dmft scores higher in Group 2(dmft 2.08±2.85; p value=.001* and DMFT 4.10±1.71;p value=.003*). It was concluded that oral hygiene conditions were poor in children with HIV, with dental plaque scores more in HAART-naïve which may be due to their lesser visits and reinforcements regarding oral hygiene from a dentist and dental caries score more in HAART group, this may be attributed to the hidden sugars present in HAART medications to make it more palatable. Early recognition and management of oral conditions are important to improve the quality of life for these children.

Assessment of Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs of Institutionalized Children With Special Needs in Poonamallee, Chennai: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Dental caries represents a pervasive chronic pediatric ailment that significantly hinders normal patterns of nutrition intake, speech articulation, and daily activities. Notably, children with special needs emerge as a particularly susceptible demographic concerning dental afflictions, specifically in the context of dental caries and periodontal diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the oral health status of children with special needs in Poonamallee, Chennai, India. Methodology This cross-sectional survey involved a total of 1,114 children with special needs, classified into two groups, namely, intellectually disabled and physically challenged. The assessment of various oral health parameters in the study population was performed using the World Health Organization's Oral Health Assessment Form for Children 2013. For quantitative variables, mean and standard deviations were considered. The significance of the difference between quantitative variables was tested using an independent t-test. Statistical significance was set at p-values ≤0.05. Results Of the 1,114 children, 552 were females and 562 were males. Overall dental trauma was noted in 21%. The average decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) value was 0.74, with intellectually disabled children exhibiting a higher mean compared to the physically challenged group with a mean value of 0.72. Additionally, when assessing gingival conditions, children withintellectual disabilities displayed more unfavorable outcomes compared to their physically challenged counterparts. A need for dental intervention was observed in 97.3% of the pediatric population. A statistically significant difference was found for missing teeth (M) in the DMFT index between the intellectually disabled and physically challenged groups. Conclusions The results of this study emphasize the less-than-ideal oral health condition among children with special needs, highlighting the urgent necessity for the creation of a comprehensive dental healthcare program tailored to their specific needs.

Children's Oral Health Status Among Urban and Rural Areas of Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dental caries is a disease that is quite common in children and has a negative impact on their oral health, mental health, and quality of life. This study aimed to collect and correlate information about oral health awareness, oral health status, and oral hygiene practices in the urban and rural areas of Saudi Arabia. Methods:The cross-sectional study was carried out among three dental clusters of Qassim from November 2022 to April 2023 in 12 schools on seven- to 12-year-old children. Data collection was done using the WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for Children. The current investigation included 700 children, 360 males and 340 females. Both urban and rural parents were more educated. Most children in rural areas reported excellent gum health than in urban areas (48.2% and 41.3%, respectively). Pain was the most common cause of visiting the dentist in rural more than in urban areas (55.7% and 54.5%, respectively). A significantly higher frequency of sugar consumption was reported for rural children. Most rural and urban childrentake care of their teeth. The vast majority of them use a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean their teeth. However, the dental visit was not regular and only related to the toothache. They need more oral health education and promotion programs to improve the knowledge of oral health behavior in the Qassim region and the rest of Saudi Arabia.

ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF CHALDREN WITH INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS IN THE PAST MEDICAL HISTORY

Dental caries and periodontal tissue diseases remain one of the most actual problems in pediatric dentistry. There is also a trend towards an increase in the prevalence of malocclusion. Dental morbidity in children in most cases develops under the influence of both local and general factors. Somatic pathology has a particularly significant impact on the development of dental morbidity in children, caused by metabolic disorders, which serves as the pathogenetic basis for the development of diseases. Viral infection, which is widespread among children and adults, plays a significant role in the development of dental diseases. In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of children with infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus. Therefore, the assessment of oral health status in children with infectious mononucleosis will allow the development of effective means of preventing and treating diseases.&#x0D; Purpose. The purpose of the study is to assess the oral health status of children with infectious mononucleosis in the past medical history.&#x0D; Methods and Material. 240 children aged 6-15 years, including 112 children with infectious mononucleosis in the past medical history of (the main group) and 128 children of the comparison group, have been examined. The prevalence of dental caries, malocclusion and the condition of periodontal tissues were assessed in the examined children. The oral health status of children was determined in accordance with the recommendations of P.A. Leus (1991).&#x0D; Results. It has been found that in children with infectious mononucleosis in the past medical history, the prevalence of caries of permanent teeth, on average, was 73.68±3.04% with an intensity of 3.41±0.24 teeth, which was significantly higher than in children in the comparison group (65.06±2.98%; 2.53±0.22 teeth). Diseases of periodontal tissues were diagnosed in 69.8% of children in the main group and 48.7% in the comparison group. Among the periodontal diseases, chronic catarrhal gingivitis was the most common (62.7%). In children with infectious mononucleosis, malocclusion was detected, on average, in 86.36±4.22%, which is significantly higher than in the comparison group (69.23±4.27%). The oral health status of children with infectious mononucleosis aged 9 years was 70%, and 12 years 65%, and in the comparison group it was 80% and 76%, respectively.&#x0D; Conclusions. Thus, a decreased oral health status of children with infectious mononucleosis in the past medical history was found, especially in 12-year-old children, mainly due to the development of multiple dental caries and periodontal diseases. The identified dependencies indicate significant disorders of the protective mechanisms of the oral cavity, insufficiently effective oral hygiene and lack of preventive measures in children with infectious mononucleosis in the past medical history.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Government Primary School Teachers in Faridabad City Regarding Oral Health.

Schoolteachers have a massive capacity for shaping the oral health status of children. Teachers help in behavioral shaping and the total progress of schoolchildren. They are thought to apply a substantial impact on their students. Overall health-promoting school seeks workforce well-being as well as their working conditions and thus employ the tactics of health promotion in the workplace. To assess the existing knowledge, attitude, and practices of government primary school teachers in Faridabad city regarding oral health. The study was conducted on 220 government primary school teachers in Faridabad city. The questionnaires were distributed individually to the teachers on the visit to their institution. The data was compiled and subjected to statistical analysis. The study was evaluated in various groups like age, gender, educational qualification, and teaching experience. Oral health education was given to the teachers and mentioned the importance of regular dental check-ups in children. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21. The findings of this study indicated that oral health knowledge was good but oral health attitudes and practices were moderate among government primary school teachers in Faridabad city. The study determined that there is a need to improve the oral well-being information and habits of the primary school teachers so that they can deliver proper oral health instructions to the students. Cyriac A, Sood S, Sharma N, et al. Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Government Primary School Teachers in Faridabad City Regarding Oral Health. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(3):426-430.

Assessing the Effects of Oral Health Knowledge and Behaviours of Mothers on Oral Health of Preschool 4-6 Years Old Children

Background- Pre-school child health has always been one of the most important milestones for lifelong health research. Also, the knowledge and behaviour of the parents, especially mothers, affects children's health. The variable household-related factors and mothers, in particular, are considered to be the main role models that can improve pre-school children behaviour. Objective To determine the knowledge and behaviours of the mothers and their impact on pre-school 4-6 years old children oral health status. Method A 27 subjects’ questionnaire was prepared using previous questionnaires assessing mothers’ knowledge and behaviours towards oral health. Children's oral and dental health was examined by the researcher and scores were calculated using dmft (decayed, missing, filled, tooth) index. Accordingly, the effect of knowledge and behaviour of the mothers on their children dmft score was analysed. Chi-Square and logistic regression tests were used in the statistical analysis. Results The study population consisted of 261 pre-school children and their mothers. Which included 126 males (48.3%) males and 135 females (51.7%). The mean mothers’ oral health knowledge score was found to be 4.24  1.94. The children oral health examination through dmft scoring showed that 71.3% of children had experienced dental caries. the mean value for dmft score was 2.32  2.39. Our study showed that the mother's cumulative oral health knowledge score has a statistically significant relationship to the children oral health status. The higher the mother's oral health knowledge scores the lower their children dmft scores (p=0.001). Conclusion Mothers oral health knowledge and dental health indices in our study are lagging behind the developed countries and the WHO goal for the 21st century showing an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of preventive care in oral health programmes.

Association between serum biomarkers and oral health status in children with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum biomarkers and oral health parameters in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, calcium, parathormone, magnesium, and phosphorus levels were measured in 62 children with CKD aged between 4 and 17years. Intraoral examinations of the patients were performed by two different pediatric dentists. Dental caries was assessed using the decayed-missing-filled-teeth (DMFT/dmft) indexes, and oral hygiene was assessed using the debris (DI), calculus (CI), and simplified oral hygiene (OHI-S) indexes. Spearman's rho coefficient and generalized linear modeling were used to examine the association between serum biomarkers and oral health parameters. The results of the study showed that there were negative and statistically significant correlations between serum hemoglobin and creatinine levels and dmft scores in pediatric patients with CKD (p = 0.021 and p = 0.019, respectively). Furthermore, blood urea nitrogen levels and DI and OHI-S scores (p = 0.047 and p = 0.050, respectively); serum creatinine levels and DI, CI, and OHI-S scores (p = 0.005, p = 0.047, p = 0.043, respectively); and parathormone levels and CI and OHI-S scores (p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively) were found to be positively and statistically significantly related. There are associations between various serum biomarker levels and dental caries and oral hygiene parameters in pediatric patients with CKD. The impact of changes in serum biomarkers on oral and dental health is important for dentists' and medical professionals' approaches to patients' oral and systemic health.

Nutrition and oral health in children with recently and previously diagnosed celiac disease.

To evaluate the nutritional and oral health status of children with previously diagnosed celiac disease (CD) who follow a gluten-free diet and recently diagnosed CD patients. Previously and recently diagnosed groups were formed from children with CD, aged 4 to 15 years. A questionnaire was completed about the children's dental history and nutritional and oral hygiene habits. All the children underwent an oral examination, and dmft-DMFT indices were determined. Dental plaque status, periodontal health, and dental enamel defects were recorded. Oral soft tissues were examined for the presence of lesions. Unstimulated salivary flow rate and pH value were evaluated. A statistically significant difference was determined between the previously and recently diagnosed patients in terms of toothpaste preference (p=0.003), frequency of going to the dentist (p=0.039), and the types of dental treatment they had received (p=0.001). A statistically significant difference was determined between the previously and recently diagnosed patient groups in terms of dmft values (p=0.005). Children with CD should be directed to a pediatric dentist to improve oral and dental health, relieve the symptoms of oral mucosal lesions, be informed about enamel defects, and be encouraged to use gluten-free oral care products. The collaboration of pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric dentists can prevent the progression of oral symptoms in children with CD and eliminate long-term complications in terms of both oral health and multisystemic problems.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Myanmar version of the scale of oral health outcomes for 5-year-old children.

The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the child's self-report and parental report of the scale of oral health outcomes for 5-year-old children (SOHO-5) for use in Myanmar (Burmese-speaking) population and to assess the reliability and validity of the Myanmar version. The forward-backward translation method was used to develop the Myanmar SOHO-5 version and the final questionnaires were tested on 173 five years old children and their parents for reliability and validity. A single dentist examined the caries experience of the children (Kappa:0.90). The structural validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability (1-2 weeks) were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. The association between SOHO-5 scores and additional global rating questions for child oral health status (convergent validity) and the differences between the total SOHO-5 score of children with caries and children without caries (discriminant validity) were investigated. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the one-factor structure of the SOHO-5. Cronbach's alpha coefficient values for internal consistency were 0.82 for the children's report and 0.79 for the parental report. The ICCs were 0.90 and 0.89 for the total scores of the children and parental versions in the test-retest reliability analysis. The total SOHO-5 scores for both reports were significantly associated with the global rating questions except for the 'impact on children's general health' question in the parental report. Furthermore, the Myanmar version discriminated between the children with and without caries experiences (p < 0.001). This study provided evidence that both children and parental reports of the Myanmar SOHO-5 version have good reliability and validity to assess the OHRQoL of 5-year-old children in a Burmese-speaking population.

Effects of Parental Oral Health knowledge on Early Childhood Caries and Oral Health Status of Children 3-5 Years of Age in Abbottabad

Dental caries can spread rapidly in children and was given the term "Early Childhood Caries" (ECC) that was coined to describe "one or more carious, non-cavitated or cavitated tooth surfaces that are missing or filled due to caries on a deciduous tooth" in a child of 5 years and 9 months of age or younger. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a “complicated condition affecting the maxillary primary incisors which quickly propagate to other primary teeth about a month of eruption”. It is a serious issue of socio-behavior or dental health which strikes pre-schoolers across the globe. Objective: To determine effects of parental knowledge on their children's oral health practices and status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, with a total of 384 kids from Government and Private Schools of Abbottabad City. Oral hygiene of the children was assessed through dmft scores upon the request of school administration and parents. Structured oral health questionnaires were distributed by the instructors among the parents during parent-teacher conferences/ meetings that were held after every three months in a fiscal year of the school. Results: A total of 372 of the youngsters in the study have all their primary teeth erupted (98.7%). Three-year-olds make up 35.7% of the overall sample, while four-year-olds make up 23%, and five-year-olds make up 0.5% of the sample. One or more of the sample's 245 decaying teeth affects 40.5% of the total. Conclusions: Parental knowledge and practise of oral hygiene were found to be linked to their children's oral health in this study.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATING AND IMPROVING THE ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN CHILDREN

Social media is an integral part of the communal fabric of todays world, from which health care is not excluded. Communication plays a vital role in breaking down barriers between the patient and dental health professional, and in strengthening the treatment alliance. It is increasingly becoming popular as a useful tool for health care providers to motivate and encourage patients of all ages groups and social backgrounds.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATING AND IMPROVING THE ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN CHILDREN

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATING AND IMPROVING THE ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN CHILDREN