Parental knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards children's oral habits: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Oral health is fundamental to children's health and well-being. Parental knowledge, awareness, and practices towards oral habits significantly influence children's oral health. Early diagnosis and intervention to break abnormal oral habits are vital to prevent long-term detrimental effects on oral and facial development.

This study aimed to assess parents' knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards their children's oral habits in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional study design was employed, where 2,000 participants were enrolled, of whom 563 Saudi mothers residing in Riyadh met the inclusion criteria. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, child information, parental awareness, and parental attitudes.  Results: Regarding awareness, moderate overall awareness was reported among mothers, with the majority (over 70%) correctly identifying the negative effects of prolonged pacifier/bottle use and other habits on children's oral health. As for the attitudes, most mothers recognized the importance of stopping sucking habits (digit and/or pacifier) by 18 months and agreed that persistent oral habits cause malocclusion and growth problems. However, a significant gap existed between knowledge and practice, with most mothers (92.9%) never consulting a dentist regarding their child's ongoing oral habits. Mothers with higher education levels reported encouraging their children to stop habits and documented improvements observed after habit cessation.  Conclusions: Although most mothers demonstrated moderate awareness of the detrimental effects of prolonged oral habits, a clear gap remains between knowledge and practice. This study emphasizes the need for educational programs to improve parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding children's oral habits. Additionally, addressing cultural beliefs and cost barriers to dental treatment could increase the utilization of dental services, improving children's oral health.