Tunis Med. 2025 Dec 27;103(10):1474-1479. doi: 10.62438/tunismed.v103i10.5657.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The establishment and preservation of optimal oral health in children are largely contingent upon the active participation of their parents and caregivers. These primary figures are instrumental in shaping children’s preventive practices and facilitating necessary treatment, highlighting a critical interface for health interventions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of parents in Monastir city, Tunisia, toward their children’s oral health care and prevention of tooth decay and to determine the influence of parental socio-demographic variables on knowledge.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the pediatrician’s waiting room in Monastir, Tunisia. Ethical Clearance was obtained. The sample was made up of 195 parents. The questionnaire was completed to obtain information regarding demographic and education variables, knowledge about oral health prevention, parents’, children’s oral hygiene habits, and risk behaviors. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the Pearson chi-square test and the ANOVA test.
RESULTS: Sixty-three percent of parents who participated in the study had an insufficient knowledge score (score<50%). The mean knowledge score among mothers was slightly greater than fathers. The parents having fewer than three children have better knowledge, and the parents with one child have better scores. Similar results with a higher educational level were statistically significant. The majority of parents recognized many preventive dental aspects like the number of daily brushings, the nature of toothbrush of the child’s dental, effective brushing time, and caries as an infectious disease. However, it was revealed that there was limited knowledge among parents about the importance of early oral health prevention.
CONCLUSION: The oral health knowledge among the participants was relatively low. Parents should get better education in oral health knowledge in order to influence their children to gain better oral health.
PMID:41879699 | DOI:10.62438/tunismed.v103i10.5657
