Parents' reasons for brushing or not brushing their child's teeth: a qualitative study

Abstract

Results are discussed in relation to research and theories from the psychology and behavioural economics literature, and comparisons are drawn with assumptions inherent in more traditional oral health promotion messages.

Parents’ and children's knowledge of oral health: a qualitative study of children with cleft palate

“…These were associated with CLP treatment or dental decay, suggesting that there may be 'teachable moments' 27 when individuals are more receptive to health messages. Oral health routines and habits are believed to be easily disrupted and open to influences related to changes in the environment 28 . Findings from this study suggested that changes in children's circumstances, such as going through additional dental treatment, may also prompt learning and encourage positive changes in toothbrushing behaviour.…”

Children's Toothbrushing Frequency: The Influence of Parents' Rationale for Brushing, Habits and Family Routines

“…A short questionnaire survey was developed, based on themes developed from previous qualitative work [Trubey et al, 2014]. The survey was piloted on members of the sample population before being finalised (n = 30) and cognitive interviewing was conducted with a small number of parents (n = 6) to establish read-159 ability and comprehension of the questions.…”

“…Parents drew comparisons between their child's 'clean teeth' and their general appearance, and felt that the appearance of their child reflected on their parenting skills [Trubey et al, 2014].…”

“…Qualitative studies have shown that parents who regularly brush their children's teeth often refer to the process as a habit or 'part of the daily routine' in the morning or evening [Cortes et al, 2012;Trubey et al, 2014]. In the field of medicine, researchers have found that having predictable daily routines can help both children and adults with adherence to medication regimes [Wagner and Ryan, 2004;Greening et al, 2007].…”

Caries and background factors in Swedish 4-year-old children with special reference to immigrant status

“…Few studies have explored parental attitudes, knowledge and beliefs as well as the possible pathways between individual, familial, community and socio-cultural contexts. Parents from socio-economically deprived areas were interviewed with respect to the tooth brushing habits of their children [24]. The stability of daily routines, the perceived immediacy of the benefits of tooth brushing and opinions of how often other parents brush their children's teeth appeared as the most important factors.…”