Parental Perceptions of Dental Care Utilisation and Their Association With Treatment Completion, Follow-Up and...

Although previous studies explored parents' perceptions of accessing dental care, few examined their link to treatment completion, follow-up and children's quality of life. This study aimed to (1) examine the association between parents' perceptions and utilisation outcomes (access, treatment completion and follow-up) alongside children's quality of life; and (2) identify barriers reported by parents for failing to complete treatment or adhere to follow-up.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among primary schoolchildren in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using stratified cluster sampling. Caregivers completed surveys on access and barriers, whereas children completed the Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES-QC) and underwent clinical examinations. Multilevel logistic regression models analysed predictors of care utilisation and CARIES-QC scores.

785 schoolchildren and their parents from 11 schools were included. Perceived difficulty accessing care increased the odds of treatment incompletion (AOR: 5.84, 95% CI: 2.98-11.44), lack of follow-up (AOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.15-3.87) and poorer CARIES-QC scores (β = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.56-2.85). The most common reported barriers for incomplete treatment or not following up were financial barriers (25.6%, n = 72 and 45.9%, n = 56) and dismissive attitudes toward primary teeth (17.4%, n = 49 and 22.1%, n = 27), respectively.

Perceived difficulty in accessing dental care was significantly associated with incomplete treatment, missed follow-ups and poorer caries-specific quality of life. Financial constraints and misconceptions about primary teeth were key reported barriers, emphasising the need to address both parents' perceptions and reported barriers to improve oral health outcomes.