Oral health behavior of 6-year-old Danish children.

In Denmark the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) is now in the process of evaluation and revision of oral health education programs. The purpose of the present survey was 1) to evaluate the pattern of oral health behavior among 6-year-old children in relation to family and social characteristics; 2) to describe the level of dental knowledge and attitudes among the parents; and 3) to estimate the relative effect on caries experience of social and behavioral risk factors. The study comprised 212 children (response, 73%), and the parents responded to self-administered questionnaires. Moreover, information on def-s and DMF-S was collected from the epidemiologic recording systems for the PDHS. With regard to dental caries, 98% of the parents were aware of the harmful effect of sugar, and 88% knew about the role of bacteria. The causal effect of bacteria in relation to periodontal disease was stressed by 81%. Most of the parents (93%) believed that the dental diseases are preventable by means of proper oral hygiene habits, restriction of sugar and sweets, and the use of fluorides. The high level of dental knowledge among the parents was related to information given by the PDHS. Toothbrushing at least twice a day was performed by 88% of the children, and most used fluoridated toothpaste. Practical support to the children was given by 45% of the parents, and 55% checked the teeth. On a daily basis, the children had healthy foods like vegetables (59%), fruits (87%), and milk (89%), and orangeade was consumed by 53%; 45% of the children consumed sweets on a specific weekday ('Saturday sweets').(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Children's dental health: British expatriate residents in Tokyo, Japan

AIM: To identify in expatriate British parents resident in Tokyo, Japan, their levels of dental health knowledge, patterns of dental health behaviour, and caries status of their children compared to Japanese children. METHODS: 223 parents with children at one school were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on: parental knowledge and behaviours with respect to caries prevention, and sweet consumption of the children. The caries status of the children was established by a clinical examination, using standard criteria. RESULTS: The questionnaire response rate was 66.8%. The mean age of the children was 7.6 years (range 3-11 years). The responses related to 51 British, 21 Japanese, and 20 children who had British and Japanese mixed parents. 33% of British and none of Japanese children had sweet foods frequently. Fluoridated toothpaste was used by 67% of British and 10% of Japanese children. British parents knew about dental caries more than Japanese. 13% of British and 38% of Japanese children were found in the higher caries experience group. CONCLUSION: Parental access to information in the UK and to fluoridated toothpaste in Japan could have helped to prevent dental caries in these expatriate British children.     

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目的了解济南市小学生家长对口腔保健知识的认知程度,为济南市儿童口腔保健预防工作提供基线资料。方法 2009年1—5月对济南市10所小学2860名学生家长进行问卷调查,所得数据采用SPSS软件统计分析。结果家长对各种口腔保健知识的认知水平不同,在所调查的问题中,对刷牙的作用、频繁进食甜食饮料等易致龋坏等知识认知水平非常高,对六龄牙的重要性的认识也处于较高水平,但对于氟化物、窝沟封闭防龋、乳牙龋坏应及时治疗及咬合诱导知识等认知明显偏低,相关知识知晓率差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。随家长文化水平及经济收入的提高,家长对部分口腔保健知识的掌握有明显提高(P<0.05)。不同年龄家长对部分口腔保健知识的掌握有明显差异(P<0.05)。结论济南市儿童家长口腔保健知识认知水平存在明显差异,部分家长口腔保健知识缺乏,保健意识不强,应加强针对性的口腔宣传与教育工作。     

Oral health knowledge and sources of information among male Saudi school children.

The purpose of present study was to determine the oral health knowledge and sources of information in male Saudi school children. The required information was collected through a especially designed questionnaire. A total of 130 children completed the questionnaire with the mean age of 13.3 (SD 1.9) years. There was no significant difference in oral health knowledge or sources of information in relation to age and educational level. Less than half (44.6%) of the children actually had heard about fluoride, one-third (34.6%) correctly identified the action of fluoride as preventing tooth decay. Almost all (97.2%) the children thought that sweets (chocolates/candies) could cause tooth decay. However, a large number of children were not aware of cariogenic potential of soft drinks (31.5%). More than half (53.1%) of the children reported that their dentist taught them how to brush properly. However, 11.5% children were not taught by any one about proper tooth-brushing. A large number (40.0%) of children thought that one must visit the dentist only in case of pain in the teeth. Dentists were the most popular (61.5%) source of oral health information. It can be concluded that the children need further oral health education in areas of caries prevention, and there was a need to utilise parents, schoolteachers and media to enhance their oral health knowledge.     

多元化健康教育模式在学龄前儿童口腔保健中的应用

目的:针对当前学龄前儿童口腔保健中的问题与不足,开展多元化健康教育干预,评价干预实施效果.方法:随机选取上海市浦东新区3所幼儿园,以其中4～5岁儿童为对象,随机抽取1所幼儿园的110名儿童为干预组,开展为期1年的专项健康培训及各种相关健康教育活动;另外2所幼儿园的220名儿童为对照组,不进行特殊的健康教育与行为干预.干预结束后,比较干预组和对照组儿童患龋情况和口腔保健知识与行为习惯的改善程度.采用SPSS19.0软件包对所得数据进行相关描述和分析.结果:经过1年的健康教育干预,干预组儿童口腔知识与口腔卫生行为较对照组显著提高,但儿童患龋率、龋均未见显著差异.结论:在幼儿园开展多元化口腔健康教育,对学龄前儿童口腔健康知识、态度、行为有积极作用.     

Effectiveness of an oral health education and caries prevention program in kindergartens in China

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a 2-year oral health education and caries prevention program implemented in kindergartens in China. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty-one 3-year-old children were recruited from 10 kindergartens in Miyun County, Beijing, China. The kindergartens were randomly divided into two groups. Oral health education was provided to teachers in the test kindergartens every 3 months. Oral health education sessions were conducted for the test children monthly and for their parents semiannually. Children in the test kindergarten brushed their teeth twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste (1100 ppm F-) in their kindergarten under the supervision of teachers during weekdays. No oral health education session and no supervised tooth brushing activities were carried out in the control kindergartens. A clinical examination of the study children and a questionnaire survey of their parents were conducted at baseline and after a 2-year program. RESULTS: Five hundred and fourteen children remained in the study after 2 years. The mean caries increments of the test group (n = 258) and the control group (n = 256) were 2.47 and 3.56 dmfs, respectively. The reduction in dmfs increment was 30.6% (P = 0.009). At the evaluation, a significantly higher percentage of children in the test group than in the control group reported brushing their teeth twice a day (87.6% vs. 69.0%; P < 0.001). Parents of children in the test group had better oral health knowledge and attitude than the parents of children in the control group. CONCLUSION: This oral health education program was effective in establishing good oral health habits among preschool children and in increasing oral health knowledge of their parents, in conjunction with supervised daily tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, which could reduce the development of new dental caries in preschool children in China.     

Caries prevalence and oral health among schoolchildren

Last decennia much attention has been paid to improve the oral health of schoolchildren. The purpose of this study was to examine the present caries prevalence and the state of oral health of schoolchildren. Therefore 1.147 children from group 2 and group 8 of the primary school (6 and 12 years of age) in the province Drenthe were examined. Of the children 33% had caries and 13% had gingivitis. The highest percentages of caries were found in the low SES-group and among children that have education at schools for children with special needs. The study showed that these children brushed their teeth less often, they visited the dentist for the first time at an older age and they were eating many snacks. Children who had received an instruction in how to brush one's teeth, did not score better in the caries prevalence compared to children without previous instruction. Also the children whose parents had information about oral health, did not score better than the other children.     

儿童乳牙患龋状况及其家庭口腔健康行为的差异

目的研究家庭口腔健康行为对辽宁省城乡儿童乳牙患龋状况的影响。方法采用多阶段、分层、等容量、随机抽样的方法,运用世界卫生组织《口腔健康调查基本方法》诊断标准对辽宁省城乡792名5岁儿童进行乳牙龋病检查,并随机抽取50%受检者的家长进行问卷调查。结果1）辽宁省5岁儿童乳牙患龋率为73.86%,龋均（dmft）为4.38;其中城市儿童乳牙患龋率为64.14%,农村儿童乳牙患龋率为83.59%,城乡之间儿童乳牙患龋率具有统计学差异（P<0.01）。2）口腔健康行为分析表明,农村儿童进食糖果、巧克力、糖水、碳酸饮料、果汁等的频率高于城市。城市儿童开始刷牙时间、频率、用含氟牙膏的比例均高于农村。城市家长普遍学历高,收入多,儿童定期检查和采取预防措施的人数高于农村。结论辽宁省,尤其是农村地区应加强对家庭口腔健康行为的教育。     

武汉市东西湖区5岁儿童口腔健康行为调查

目的:了解东西湖区5岁儿童的基本口腔健康行为及其家长的儿童口腔卫生知识水平,为东西湖区儿童口腔卫生保健工作提供信息支持。方法:按照第三次全国口腔健康流行病学调查方案设计的5岁儿童家长问卷,对东西湖区8所幼儿园529名5岁儿童家长进行问卷调查,了解儿童饮食行为,口腔卫生行为、利用口腔医疗行为,家长口腔保健知识知晓情况。结果:30%的儿童经常有睡前进食甜食的习惯。5%的儿童在3岁前开始刷牙,每日刷牙2次者仅占10%。有5%的儿童使用含氟牙膏刷牙。在过去1年中,90%的儿童没看过牙医。结论:东西湖区5岁儿童口腔健康行为低于全国平均水平,儿童口腔健康行为尚不完善,有必要加强父母的口腔健康教育,建立正确的儿童口腔健康行为。     

Oral health behaviour of schoolchildren and parents in Jordan

Summary. Objectives. The objectives of the study were: (i) to assess the level of dental knowledge and attitudes towards child dental care among parents in Jordan, (ii) to analyse the oral health care habits of schoolchildren and parents, and (iii) to evaluate the oral hygiene habits and use of professional dental services of children in relation to socio‐demographic conditions. Design. Cross‐sectional, self‐administered questionnaires for parents. Sample and methods. National representative sample of 6–16‐year‐olds living in urban areas (n = 1556, children and parents, response rate 92%, 48·7% boys, 51·3% girls). Results. In all, 80% of the parents knew about the harmful effect of sugar and 79% thought that poor oral hygiene may induce dental caries. In addition to proper oral hygiene (79%) and restriction of sugar/sweets (42%), 36% of the parents emphasized regular dental visits for the prevention of dental disease in children. However, most children saw a dentist for symptomatic reasons only (86%), while 11% attended for dental check‐ups. At their last visit to the dentist, 49% of the children had tooth extraction and only 8% had preventive services (fissure sealing). Toothbrushing at least twice a day was reported for 31% of the children; 14% of children aged 6–9 years had assistance from adults in brushing. Dental care habits of children were highly affected by dental visiting habits of parents, and variations by level of education of parents were also found. Conclusions. The discrepancy between dental knowledge and attitudes of parents and oral health care practices indicate the need for oral health education. School‐based oral health promotion programmes should be established in Jordan to influence the oral health behaviour of children and parents and to avoid further deterioration in their oral health.     

Dental caries experience of 5-year-old children related to their parents' education levels: a study in an Arab community in Israel.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence that parents' education may have on the prevalence of dental caries in young children. The study was conducted on 210 kindergarten children aged 5 years in an Arab village. The presence of caries was determined according to the WHO criteria, with an explorer and a dental mirror under natural light. The education of the parents was assessed on a scale of 1-6 according to information obtained from a questionnaire to the parents. The results of this study showed that children of highly educated parents had relatively low dental caries experience. The influence of the mothers was apparent at a lower educational level than that of the fathers. In this population only 0.6% of the dental treatment needs were met. Of the kindergarten children 99.5% had experienced caries. The caries experience was extremely high: the mean dmfs was 17.7 (+/- 12.15), and the means dmft 8.04 (+/- 8.37).     

Dental health of dentists' children in Mongolia

Summary. Objectives. To describe the dental health of dentists’ children, to evaluate its association with their dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related characteristics and to compare it with that of children in the general population in Mongolia. Design. Cross‐sectional survey, questionnaire‐based data. Subjects. Dentists’ children, aged 3–13 years. Sample. All dentists (n = 250) actively practising in the capital city of Mongolia. Results. The dentists’ children's dmft ranged from 0 to 12, and DMFT from 0 to 8; 50% were caries‐free. The younger the children, the higher was their total caries experience expressed as the sum of DMFT + dmft scores (r = ?0·22; P = 0·001). Dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related factors were not associated with their children's caries status (P > 0·05). When dentists’ children were compared with their counterparts at the population level, mean dmft for 6‐year‐olds was 2·6 for (urban) dentists’ children, 6·5 for children in the urban population and 0·9 for those in rural population of equivalent age. Mean DMFT for 12‐year‐olds were 1·0, 1·8 and 1·2, respectively, in the same three groups. In general, (urban) dentists’ children in all age groups had better dental health than did their urban counterparts at the population level. Among 5–7‐year‐olds, dentists’ children had worse dental health than did their counterparts in the rural population. Conclusions. Despite the dentists’ knowledge and awareness, their children demonstrated higher rates of dental caries than expected. This suggests that Mongolian dentists may have insufficient preventive orientation. In particular, the primary dentition of younger children seems to be poorly valued. In Mongolia, dentists should have better training and education in modern methods of caries prevention and their advantages. Appreciation and care of the primary dentition need to be improved at all levels of oral health promotion in Mongolia.     

Dental caries in children from ethnic groups in the Netherlands. A literature review

This article reviews the literature on child dental caries in various ethnic groups in the Netherlands. Material from fifteen studies showed generally the dental health of five- to eleven-year-old children of parents born in Turkey or Morocco to be far worse than that of children of Dutch or Surinamese parents. The ethnic groups distinguished, however, turned out not to be homogeneous with regard to dental health. Within each ethnic group the socio-economic status as well as the parental level of fluency in the Dutch language were important additional risk indicators for caries. Regular toothbrushing seemed to be the most important factor to diminish the caries risk.     

Caries experience and oral hygiene status of a group of visually impaired children in istanbul, Turkey

Purpose: To evaluate the caries experience, oral hygiene status and oral health knowledge of a group of visually impaired students. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at one of the largest visually impaired children's schools among students aged between 7 and 16 years (n = 178) in Istanbul, Turkey. A 16-item questionnaire was asked in addition to a clinical tooth examination. The 16-item verbal questionnaire was developed to record the students' general health, impairment, the socioeconomic profile and education level of their parents, oral health knowledge, sources of information about oral health and oral hygiene habits. Oral hygiene was assessed according to Greene and Vermillion's Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). To measure the oral hygiene status, OHI-S index scores were recorded. Additionally, DMFT and dft indices were documented. Results: Only 26.40% of children were caries free, and only 2.2% of students had good oral hygiene. A total of 3.3% of these students were mildly retarded and 2.8% of them had a developmental disability. Visually impaired children exhibited a fair-to-poor level of oral hygiene. Conclusion: Maintenance of oral hygiene remains the greatest challenge in the care of visually impaired children.     

Caries experience and oral health behavior in Chinese children with cleft lip and/or palate.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to investigate whether there were different caries levels in 3- to 6-year-old Chinese children who had a cleft lip compared to those with a cleft lip/palate. The goal also was to evaluate parental attitudes toward the feeding habits and oral health care for their children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out through a dental examination of a sample of children and a questionnaire to their parents. A sample of 104 3- to 6-year-old children (66 boys and 38 girls) with cleft lip, cleft palate or both were selected from those receiving pre-surgical treatment. Each child was examined and a short questionnaire was given to parents of the children. The form included questions about infant feeding practices, frequency consumption of specific drinks and, children's toothbrushing frequency. RESULTS: One hundred and four children were examined. Seventy-five percent had some caries experience and rampant caries was present in 26%. Children with cleft palate had a higher prevalence of rampant caries (30%) compared to those with cleft lip (12%). A multivariate analysis yielded feeding practices and mother's education as the variables significantly associated with caries and rampant caries. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that: 1. Children with a cleft lip/palate have higher levels of dental caries compared to those with a cleft lip alone; 2. The two most important factors for dental caries were: a. whether the child had been bottle-fed and; b. the educational attainment level of the mother.     

Association between knowledge of caries preventive practices,preventive oral health habits of parents and children and caries experience in children resident in sub-urban Nigeria

Background

The objectives of this study were to assess the association between children and parents’ knowledge of caries preventive practices, the parents’ caries preventive oral health behaviours and children’s caries preventive oral health behaviour and caries experience.

Method

Three hundred and twenty four participants aged 8–12 years, 308 fathers and 318 mothers were recruited through a household survey conducted in Suburban Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to generate information on fathers, mothers and children’s knowledge of caries prevention measures and their oral health behaviour. Clinical examination was conducted on the children to determine their dmft/DMFT. Analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of the children’s good oral health behaviour.

Result

The mothers’ oral health behaviours were significant predictors of the children’s oral health behaviours. Children who had good knowledge of caries prevention measures had significant increased odds of brushing their teeth twice daily or more. The children’s caries prevalence was 13.9%, the mean dmft was 0.2 and the mean DMFT was 0.09. None of the dependent variables could predict the presence of caries in children.

Conclusion

The study highlights the effect of maternal oral health behaviour on the oral health behaviour of children aged 8 years to 12 years in suburban Nigeria. A pilot study is needed to evaluate how enhanced maternal preventive oral health practices can improve the oral health preventive practices of children.

     

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices of third grade school children

PURPOSE: The aim of study was to investigate the oral health knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices of third grade school children in Harris County. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, oral health knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices of the children were investigated by means of a self-administered, bilingual questionnaire. Three calibrated examiners collected data on dental caries, periodontitis, and fluorosis of 1,031 school children. RESULTS: Most children reported "fairly adequate" oral hygiene habits (58%) and oral health knowledge (48%), and "adequate" dietary patterns (59%). Children with inadequate oral health knowledge were twice as likely to have caries than children with adequate knowledge (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.29, 3.28). The mean combined DMFT/dft scores of children with inadequate knowledge were significantly higher than the mean for children with adequate knowledge (t = 2.6, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a need to improve oral health knowledge and preventive practices among the study population. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the study, it is not possible to illustrate a cause-effect relationship between oral health education and prevalence of caries.     

Caries and background factors in Norwegian and immigrant 5-year-old children

Wigen TI, Wang NJ. Caries and background factors in Norwegian and immigrant 5‐year‐old children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 19–28. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the caries status of 5‐year‐olds in a low caries area, and study associations between dental caries and parent‐related factors: parents’ education, national origin, oral health behaviours and attitudes. Methods: The material consisted of 523 children and was a stratified random sample. Clinical and radiographic examination was performed in 2007. Enamel and dentine caries were recorded at surface level. Parents filled in questionnaires regarding socioeconomic status, their own oral health behaviours and attitudes. Results: Most participants (66%) had no caries experience and 16% had enamel caries only. Dentine caries experience was present in 18% of the children, and 5% had dentine caries experience in five or more teeth. Surfaces with enamel caries constituted half of all surfaces with caries experience. In multiple logistic regression, statistically significant risk indicators for the child having dentine caries experience at the age of five were: having one or both parents of non‐western origin (OR = 4.8), both parents (OR = 3.0) or one parent (OR = 2.1) with low education, parental laxness about the child’s tooth brushing (OR = 2.8), parents’ brushing their own teeth less than twice a day (OR = 2.2) and having parents with frequent sugar intakes (OR = 1.8). Conclusion: Caries prevalence in 5‐year‐olds was strongly associated with parent‐related factors signifying that information on parents’ socioeconomic status, dental behaviours and attitudes should be considered when planning dental services for young children. Our results suggest that the real high risk group is non‐western children whose parents have low education.     

城乡3～5岁儿童家庭口腔健康行为与乳牙患龋状况对比观察

目的：探讨城乡3～5岁儿童家庭口腔健康行为与乳牙患龋状况的相关性。方法：采用多阶段、分层、随机抽样的方法,在北京、吉林4个地区幼儿园（城乡各2个）抽取3～5岁儿童共512例,城市儿童268人,农村儿童244人进行乳牙龋病检查,并对受检者的家长进行家庭口腔健康行为问卷。结果：①3～5岁儿童乳牙患龋率为71.23%,龋均4.16;城市儿童乳牙患龋率62.26%,农村81.41%,城乡儿童之间乳牙患龋率具有统计学差异（P〈0.01）。②农村儿童进食甜点心、碳酸饮料、果汁、糖果/巧克力等的频率高于城市。城市儿童开始刷牙时间、频率、用含氟牙膏的比例高于农村。城市家长对儿童定期检查和采取预防措施的人数高于农村。结论：加强对农村儿童家庭口腔健康行为的教育至关重要。     

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目的调查糖尿病儿童的口腔健康状况并据此提出相关管理措施。方法选择2009年1月至2013年12月首都儿科研究所附属儿童医院口腔科收治的47例3～6岁糖尿病儿童作为观察组,另选择同期接受健康体检的60名同年龄段健康儿童作为对照组,分别调查其口腔健康状况,并对结果进行统计分析。结果观察组儿童龋齿、牙龈炎、牙周疾病等的患病率显著高于对照组儿童,且其牙周指数亦显著高于对照组儿童,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;两组儿童的饮食习惯、运动水平、每天刷牙次数及家长对糖尿病与口腔疾病关系的知晓率等方面差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,而在家长是否有对自己孩子定期进行口腔健康检查的习惯方面差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论儿童糖尿病与其口腔健康水平具有一定相关性,有效控制血糖水平是防止糖尿病儿童口腔疾病进展并改善其口腔健康的基础保障,而积极的口腔疾病治疗同样对糖尿病儿童的糖尿病病情控制有益。