Parental Knowledge and Practices of Oral Health and Their Influence on the Care to the Children

Objective: To investigate the socioeconomic conditions, knowledge and practices in oral health of parents/guardians, and to evaluate the influence of such factors on how they taken care of their children's oral health. Method: The sample consisted of 141 parents/guardians of elementary schoolchildren from the 3rd and 4th grades attending a public school (Escola Estadual Vieira Marques) in the urban area of the city of Santos Dumont, MG, Brazil. This school is included in the Oral Health Attention Program of the Municipal Health Bureau. The instrument used for data collection was a self-applied questionnaire containing closed questions. Data were analyzed statistically by Epi Info software. Categorical variables were compared by the chi-square test. Results: Parents/guardians had little knowledge of dental issues; toothbrushing was the most common practice; there was association between the search for pediatric dental assistance and monthly income (p = 0.003), education level (p = 0.03) and parents/guardians' regular visits to a dental office (p = 0.0006). There was also association between assisted toothbrushing to the children and parents/guardians' habit of toothbrushing (p = 0.03). No relationship was found among the studied variables and controlling children's ingestion of sweets. Conclusion: Oral health actions are required for this population, involving educative activities and clinical dental assistance. The educational programs directed to the pediatric public should not be restricted to transmission of information to the parents about children's oral health care, but should also include actions that stimulate the parents/guardians to adopt healthy behaviors to their lives as well.