ASSESSMENT OF PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS REGARDING THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES AND ITS IMPACT ON ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF 6-12 YEARS OLD CHILDREN IN HALDIA- A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY

Dr. Tandrani Dey*, Dr. Bibhas Dey, Dr. Payel Karmakar, Dr. Ananya Pal, Dr. Sarbojit Chakraborty and Dr. Krishnendu Bhowmik

ABSTRACT

Parents have negligible knowledge about preventive oral health and dental procedures, which can significantly impact their children’s general health and well-being. Neglect by parents may lead to unfavorable dental and overall health outcomes. Therefore, parental knowledge about preventive measures in oral health is essential for maintaining proper oral hygiene, controlling cavities, and caring for children’s primary teeth. Aim: To evaluate parent knowledge on preventive measures for proper oral hygiene maintenance and to determine a possible relationship between their oral health knowledge and their child’s dental caries experience. Methodology: This was a questionnaire-based study conducted among 200 participants. A questionnaire was prepared and was then given to participants and responses were collected. The data were collected systematically and analysed using the SPSS software version 20. Result: 200 study subjects participated in the study. The study revealed a significant difference statistically in knowledge, attitude and awareness among parents in various categories. About 81% of the participants were aware that sugar and sugar-containing diet can cause dental decay whereas, only 25% of them had the understanding that fluorides can help prevent dental decay. It was found that the subjects who were Graduates were significantly more aware of dental health practices. Conclusion: Many participants had awareness about oral hygiene. However most of the participants were not aware of fluoride application for prevention of dental caries.

Keywords: Oral hygiene, Dental caries, Parental knowledge, Fluoride.