Knowledge, attitude, and practical behavior of parents regarding their child's oral health in New Delhi

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practical behavior of parents regarding their children's oral health in New Delhi.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 parents who reported in outpatient department in the Department of General Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College and in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry at Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (21.0 version; Inc., Chicago IL, USA) for descriptive and multivariate analysis, and the level of statistical significance used in this study was chosen at P < 0.005.

The results of this explorative research showed that the sample selected had a relatively good knowledge regarding the importance of the primary teeth, the fact that problems in primary teeth can affect the permanent teeth, brushing frequency on daily basis, and brushing aids. Participants were aware about the effect of prolonged bottle feeding and sticky foods on the dentition. On the other hand, the majority of participants failed to recognize the ideal time of first dental visit. Parents showed positive attitudes regarding the importance of regular dental visit and their role in their children's daily oral hygiene habits.

In New Delhi, parental awareness and attitudes regarding their children's oral health are relatively good. However, the high dental caries prevalence in children in Central New Delhi contradict the study findings, which prove the fact that changing parental behavior and attitudes toward their children's oral health is far more important than increasing their knowledge only.