Assessment of the state of dental health and quality of life of preschool children according to the results of the parents᾽ questionnaires

Abstract

Summary. Caries of temporary teeth is an important social problem of childhood in all countries of the world, because the prevalence of this disease ranges from 25 to 72 %. It is believed that the main cause of tooth decay is the result of the activity of cariogenic microorganisms under conditions of high carbohydrate saturation and reduced caries resistance of teeth. Poor oral hygiene, unfavorable conditions for self-cleaning teeth, excessive consumption of sweets, insufficient intake of fluoride are among the most important risk factors for caries.

The aim of the study – to assess the attitude of parents of children aged 3 and 6 to dental health and quality of life of children according to the modified EGOHID criteria.

Materials and Methods. To this purpose, by use of Google form we conducted questionnaires of 257 parents of children aged 3–6. Subjective assessment of dental health included questions about the frequency of brushing, assessing the condition of teeth and gums, oral care products and items and checking the effectiveness of brushing, diet, especially the use of sweets, and whether parents pay attention in general on the appearance of temporary teeth in children, the frequency of visits to general practitioners, including dentists.

Results and Discussion. We found that more than half (57.26 %) of parents go to the dentist for the first time for treatment of their children, and for preventive examination – only 25.67 %. Oral care with the appearance of the first tooth started 56.62 % of parents, after a year – 37.43 % of respondents, from two years – 16.05 %. Only half of the respondents (49.36 %) brush their children᾽s teeth twice a day, the rest only once. It is gratifying that the vast majority of parents (67.67 %) still brush their children᾽s teeth themselves, but only 3.22 % of respondents check the effectiveness of brushing their teeth with a special solution. Regarding the composition of toothpaste, only 47.93 % of parents of children indicate the use of calcium-containing toothpaste, the rest do not know the composition of the toothpaste. 99.14 % of parents surveyed do not use additional dental tools. 55.52 % of respondents indicate that children consume sweets once a day, a third (respectively 30.84 %) – several times a day, the rest – less often. 46.23 % of respondents believe that you need to see a dentist only in case of acute pain. 65.76 % of parents indicated the need for treatment of temporary teeth, the rest – consider it optional. TV (41.89 %) and the surrounded people (32.45 %) most often influence parents᾽ choice of oral hygiene products.

Conclusions. As a result of a subjective survey, we found insufficient attention of parents to the state of children᾽s dental health, poor oral care and nutritional deficiencies.