Dental health knowledge and attitudes of regularly attending mothers of high-risk, pre-school children.

AIM: The aims of this study were to discover the knowledge of and attitudes towards dental health of a group of regularly attending mothers of young children at high-risk of caries, and to evaluate their toothbrushing techniques.

METHOD: As part of the baseline examination of a randomised controlled trial to test the influence of dental health counselling on the caries increment of at-risk pre-school children, 268 mothers of 334 children completed a questionnaire enquiring about their dental health knowledge and attitudes, and were also observed brushing their children's teeth.

RESULTS: Although most mothers (71%) knew that they should brush their children's teeth twice a day using a small toothbrush (94%) only 52% knew that they should use only a small pea-sized amount of paste, and only 3% knew the recommended level of fluoride in toothpaste for these at-risk children. 40% of the children insisted on brushing their own teeth and 40% of the mothers brushed their children's teeth inadequately. Although three-quarters of the mothers knew that sugary foods and drinks should be consumed only at mealtimes, only 7% knew the four foods and drinks supplying most sugar to a child's diet. Although three-quarters of mothers thought that dental decay in milk teeth was very important, only half wanted their children's carious teeth restored.

CONCLUSION: Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour about dental health among these regularly attending mothers of at-risk, pre-school children were superficial. Their attitudes to dental health of primary teeth were equivocal and their demonstrated brushing behaviour on the part of their children was inadequate.