Perception of Dental Caries and Parental Difficulties in Implementing Oral Hygiene for Children Aged Less Than 6 Years: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Despite extensive prevention programs, dental hygiene remains inadequate, particularly among children under the age of six, and early childhood caries (ECC) are still a concern. Oral hygiene behavior and preventive practices seem difficult to change at a family level. Aim. The present study aimed to better understand the reasons behind this behavior and to identify the different barriers to the implementation of adequate preventive measures. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in the pediatric dentistry service of the Montpellier University Hospital (France) in 2019. A thematic analysis concerning three domains was performed: family environment, dental literacy, and oral hygiene. Results. The main barriers encountered by the parents were, respectively, (1) a weakness in the organization of familial life, together with a low-medium family income and a lack of authority, (2) ignorance of the necessity of treating carious primary teeth, and (3) a lack of time for brushing or supervising their children’s teeth. Conclusion: These results showed that oral hygiene and primary teeth care could not be easily achieved in the family environment of the participants, and oral health strategies should be focused not only on children but also on their parents.

Oral Health Needs and Barriers among Children in Saudi Arabia

“…Parents with more children had greater difficulty in obtaining the necessary dental care for their children. This could be explained by the fact that managing more children by mothers makes it difficult to tend to all their needs, especially for employed mothers [ 38 ]. Another report also suggested an increased caries risk among the children of employed mothers [ 39 ].…”

Necessity and relevance of qualitative research in pediatric dentistry. A literature review

“… Study Aim of the study Data collection Number of participants Type of analysis ( Stein Duker et al, 2019 ) To qualitatively explore parental and dentist reports of successful strategies implemented during dental care with children with autism spectrum disorder Focus groups were conducted with parents and dentists Two focus groups with parents and two with dentists Thematic analysis approach. ( Baghlaf et al, 2020 ) To investigate the relationships between children’s food and drink choices at school lunch for children who consume high and low sugar intakes at home Mixed methods design involving qualitative observations Thirty-nine children were observed during school lunch Conventional content analysis ( Taormina et al, 2020 ) To understand the reasons behind this behavior and to identify the different barriers to the implementation of adequate preventive measures. Semi-structured interviews Fifteen parents Thematic analysis ( Lotto et al, 2020 ) To determine perspectives of parents and caregivers of preschoolers regarding early childhood caries (ECC) Focus groups with parents Three focus groups with attendees of the Clinics of Pediatric Dentistry Content analysis ( Aarvik et al 2021 ) To explore the perspectives of non-specialist dentists on the use of restraint in pediatric dentistry Two focus group interviews Two focus group interviews involving four and five dentists, respectively Thematic analysis ( Ilha et al, 2021 ) To describe the perceptions of mothers, psychologists, and pediatric dentists regarding the use of protective stabilization Qualitative interviews Five mothers, seven psychologists, and four pediatric dentists Content analysis ( Marty et al 2021 ) To evaluate the perception of dentists using protective stabilization for dental care in children.…”

“…Several studies have implemented mixed methods design or qualitative methods in pediatric dentistry research ( Baghlaf et al, 2020 , Lotto et al, 2020 , Suprabha et al, 2021 , Taormina et al, 2020 ). The research topics included parental perception in relation to oral hygiene measure, dental fear, dental anxiety, dietary factors related to dental diseases, oral health promotions, and parental perceptions of advanced behavior management techniques ( Table 2 ).…”

Conhecimento De Famílias Atendidas Em Uma Unidade Básica De Saúde Sobre Alimentação Complementar

“…Apesar dos extensos programas de prevenção, a higiene dental continua deficiente, principalmente entre crianças menores de seis anos, e a cárie na primeira infância ainda é uma preocupação. As estratégias de saúde bucal devem estar focadas não apenas nas crianças, mas também em seus pais, para ajudá-los a mudar os hábitos familiares e para adotar comportamentos que levem a uma melhora da saúde bucal de seus filhos (TAORMINA et al, 2020) e com isso a melhora da qualidade de vida das crianças e de seus familiares.…”