MOTHER’S KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES RELATED TO THEIR 1–5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH STATUS, RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate mother’s knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their preschool children’s oral health in University Medical City, Saudi Arabia. Across-sectional study design. A questionnaire was distributed among mothers of children less than five years of age attending well-baby clinics at University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Among 285 mothers included, 156 (54.7%) age were 30 to 39 years old and 140 (49.12%) had a bachelor’s degree and 207 (72.6%) were housewives. Almost all 284 (99.6%) mothers were aware that teeth are an important part of the body. A great majority of 218 (76.5%) of the mothers agreed that “primary teeth are important for a child’s general health. Similarly, 90.5% of the mothers agreed that ‘’consumption of sweet and sticky foods affect dental health’’. But, the awareness that the important role of the dentist in the prevention of oral diseases, the main source of dental health information, and the importance of dental visits was less in mothers who had incomplete schooling when compared with graduate mothers. The study’s findings revealed a lack of knowledge, attitude, and practice among mothers about their children’s oral health, indicating the need for an oral health promotion program to close the gaps.