| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3171566 | Pediatric Dental Journal | 2013 | 7 Pages |
This study was carried out to assess the perception of preventive oral care in children among expecting mothers at the antenatal clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Women who already had one or more children were selected; participants were drawn from among them by consent and a structured questionnaire was administered. Information obtained included sociodemographic information (age, educational level, employment status, and the parity of the women) and participants' perception of child dental care. Data collection spanned a period of four weeks. Three hundred and eighty two respondents participated and they had a mean age of 30.6 (±4.3 SD) years. The majority of the participants were 26–35 years old (76%) and were primiparous (49.5%) with tertiary education (67%). Toothache was their reported reason for a child's first visit to the dentist (47.4%) while routine dental check-up accounted for (42.7%). A third (35.3%) of the participants agreed that tooth cleaning should begin as soon as the first tooth erupts; 20.7% opined that soft toothbrush and toothpaste are choice materials for cleaning. There were statistically significant associations between parity and (i) child's visit to the dental clinic (p = 0.00); and (ii) the material used in cleaning the baby's teeth (p = 0.00). Also, educational status and knowledge of routine dental check-ups were significantly associated (p = 0.04). The perceptions of dental visits, cleaning of teeth, and commencement of unassisted tooth brushing in children were poor. Pediatric oral health education should be incorporated into ante- and post-natal clinics.
