Original Article

Year : 2016 | Volume : 1 | Issue : 1 | Page : 10-14

Evaluation of Parental Attitude and Practice on the Primary Teeth of their Children in Chennai: An Hospital Survey

Anjana Mounissamy, Joyson Moses, Jai Ganesh, M. Arulpari

Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Anjana Mounissamy,

Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Thai Moogambigai, Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

E‐Mail: anjanamounissamy@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

Introduction:

Teeth are critical to the growth and development of a child. This survey evaluated the parental attitude and practices on the primary teeth of their children.

Materials and Methods:

The present study was conducted on the parents who visited the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, during October and November 2015. A total of 106 parents with 2–12 years children who visited for dental treatment of their children were involved in the study with their consent. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and the collected data were computed and analyzed using IBM-SPSS 19. Descriptive statistics was used; frequency distribution including number and percentage was calculated and inferences drawn.

Results:

Majority of the participants were from low socioeconomic status. About 78.3% of them visited a dental office when their children experienced toothache/ trauma, 33% felt regular dental check is not important, 20.8% said treating primary teeth was not necessary, 10.4% used baby toothpaste, 96.2% did not use mouthwash, majority of the children brushed with toothpaste/powder only once daily, and 69% had no idea whether toothpaste contains fluoride. They were unaware of the pediatric oral health‐care information provision and had poor knowledge.

Conclusion:

It was concluded that the pediatric dental health-care attitude and practice among the parents needs to be revisited.

Keywords: Parental attitude, pediatric oral health care, practice, primary teeth

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article: Mounissamy A, Moses J, Ganesh J, Arulpari M. Evaluation of parental attitude and practice on the primary teeth of their children in Chennai: An hospital survey. Int J Pedod Rehabil 2016;1:10-4.