[PARENT’S AND CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ORAL HEALTH]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Oral health is crucial for overall well-being, influenced by knowledge, attitudes, habits, and nutrition.
• Family environment significantly shapes children's oral health knowledge, attitudes, and habits.
• Parental behavior is a primary determinant of children's oral health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare oral health habits between parents and children (aged 11-15).
• To determine the influence of parental oral health behaviors on children's oral health.
• To identify key factors contributing to poor oral hygiene in a Croatian population.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous questionnaire assessing oral hygiene, fluoride use, and nutrition in 101 parent-child pairs.
• Dental examination of children to assess oral health status (DMFT, CEP).
• Parental oral health estimated via tooth loss and compensation data.

Main Results:

• High agreement between parents and children on brushing frequency (twice daily) and duration (1-3 minutes).
• Children with suboptimal brushing habits (e.g., brushing only in the morning) had significantly higher chances of developing tooth disorders (DMFT >0, p=0.004).
• Parental behaviors, such as providing money for snacks or poor self-perceived health, were linked to increased risk of caries (CEP >0) in children (p=0.01, p=0.017).

Conclusions:

• A strong correlation exists between family oral hygiene attitudes and children's habits.
• Parental education is a critical intervention point for improving children's oral health knowledge and behavior.
• Targeted educational programs for parents are recommended for effective oral disease prevention strategies.