Perceptions and practices of parents regarding the oral health of their primary school children in Quetta, Pakistan: A quantitative approach

BACKGROUND an‎d AIM: The oral hygiene practices of children are dependent on their parents, so this study was performed with the aim to investigate the perceptions and practices of parents regarding their own and their children's oral health. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 374 parents and caregivers of primary school children in Quetta, Pakistan. The study population was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire distributed among the parents through the teachers of their children. RESULTS: Parental knowledge on "prevention of oral diseases" was found to be low compared with the "pathology of diseases". Around half of the parents were unaware of the benefits of fluoride added to toothpaste. Just over half of the parents perceived the item “Frequent bottle feeding does not affect children’s oral health” negatively and over one-third of parents believed that milk teeth do not require good care, as they will fall out in later stages of life. Around two-thirds of parents reported to clean their teeth twice a day. Moreover, 77% of parents used a toothbrush and 15% used a Chewing stick for cleaning their teeth. Only 7% of parents reported that they supervise their children during tooth brushing and around one-third of parents reported that they remind their children of tooth brushing. CONCLUSION: Overall, parental knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding oral hygiene needs to be improved. Oral health awareness programs can be designed and implemented to improve the perceptions and practices of parents regarding their own and their children's oral health.