Dental neglect and related factors in mothers / 대한구강보건학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of dental neglect in mothers and their children and to analyze the factors that were associated with it. METHODS: The subjects included in this study were 431 mothers with preschool children. The participants were given a self-report questionnaire for the study. The survey collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and dental neglect. For dental neglect, the Adelaide dental neglect scale was used for measurement. RESULTS: The percentage of mothers with a high level (≥15 points) of dental neglect was 52.7%. In terms of dental neglect in mothers and their children, 37.1% showed feeding of snacks before and after meals, followed by postponement of dental treatment for mothers at 22.8%, and dental treatment postponed due to children 21.7%. The demographic factors affecting the mother's dental neglect were found to be age of the mother, whether the mother was employed or not, and household income. The lower was the age of the mother, the higher was the level of dental neglect. In addition, when mothers had jobs, dental neglect was high, and the lower was the household income, the higher was the level of dental neglect. CONCLUSIONS: The level of dental neglect for mothers and their children was found to be high. Thus, this should be considered in the design of national oral health promotion strategies for children. In addition, the importance of dental neglect should be emphasized.