Oral health literacy among migrant mothers in Sweden. A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: This interview study explored the oral health literacy of migrant mothers in Sweden, with special reference to where and why they access information about oral health and how they determine the credibility of such information. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In-depth interviews were conducted with seven migrant mothers of children up to 10 years old. The mothers had entered Sweden from 2015 onwards and had been resettled in Kalmar County, Sweden. Their native language was Somalian, Dari or Arabic. The interview questions concerned the participants' experiences of seeking oral health information, as well as oral health in general and dental health services. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: The main findings indicate that migrant mothers used information sourcing as a pathway to solve oral health literacy tasks. Three main categories were identified, each with subcategories, describing the migrant mothers' experiences of accessing and evaluating oral health information: 'accessible source of information', 'needs-related purpose of seeking information' and 'trustworthiness assessment'. The migrant mothers reported that in case of a dental emergency or general queries, they sought oral health information from professionals and social sources. Moreover, they perceived oral health information to be most reliable when it was provided by dental professionals, was a recurring theme, or constituted majority opinion. CONCLUSION: To improve oral health literacy in migrant mothers of young children, it is important not only to provide consistent and recurrent oral health information through accessible information channels, but also to adapt dental care to be more culturally appropriate.

Sociodemographic conditions, knowledge of dental diseases, dental care, and dietary habits.

OBJECTIVES: This study's aim was to present data on the sociodemographic conditions, knowledge of dental diseases, dental care, and dietary habits among children aged 3, 5, 10, and 15 years in Da Nang, Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological questionnaire study was conducted in a population of 840 children randomly selected by their year and month of birth (January to July), including 210 individuals in each age group. A self-reported questionnaire was completed by the parents of 3- and 5-year-olds, and a modified questionnaire was given to 10- and 15-year-olds to complete by themselves. RESULTS: Mass media constituted the main source of oral healthcare information. Parents assisted with tooth brushing in 86 percent of 3-year-olds and 71 percent of 5-year-olds. Fluoride toothpaste was used by 44-78 percent of children, with no clear age-related trend. Within the past year, 60 percent of 3- and 5-year-olds, 20 percent of 10-year-olds, and 49 percent of 15-year-olds reported they had not visited a dental professional. Sweets were consumed between principal meals by 70-80 percent of children. Milk with sugar was regularly consumed by 71 percent of 3-year-olds and 91 percent of 5-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: Children showed frequent sugar consumption and insufficient frequency of brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. Food-based dietary guidelines should play a significant role in nutrition and oral health. It is especially important that oral health prevention programs reach preschool children before they establish unhealthy dietary habits. Parental education about oral health and access to oral healthcare services are also needed to improve children's oral health.

The importance of psychological factors in the maintenance of oral health: a study of Swedish university students.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the traditional multidimensional health locus of control (MHLC) scale, a corresponding dental health locus of control (DHLC) scale and dental health values (DHVs) regarding students' dental health before and after a video programme that presented information about dental diseases and instructions on oral hygiene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 217 university students participated in this study. Before the video programme was presented, assessments were made of MHLC, DHLC and DHVs. Plaque and gingival indices were obtained in a clinical examination conducted before (plaque index [PLI] 1 and gingival index [GI] 1) and 10 weeks after (PLI 2 and GI 2) the presentation of the programme. RESULTS: The percentage of tooth surfaces exhibiting plaque and of sites involving gingivitis decreased and was statistically significant between baseline and re-examination for both males and females. The females exhibited statistically significant better PLI 1 and GI 1 values and stronger DHVs than males. Also, better GI 1 values were found to be statistically significant and related to stronger DHVs for females. A stronger trust in the dental health personnel regarding the dental health was related to more gingivitis at the initial examination (GI 1). For males, stronger internal DHLC was related to more plaque at the final examination (PLI 2). CONCLUSION: The only psychological scales that showed some relationship to the measures of dental health were DHLC and DHVs. Gender was the strongest related variable to dental health.

Dental caries and caries associated factors in Swedish 15-year-olds in relation to immigrant background.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of caries and caries associated variables in 15-year-olds in relation to foreign background and to examine differences in the prevalence of caries in immigrant adolescents according to their length of residence in Sweden. All 15-year-old adolescents (n=143) at one public school in the city of Jönköping, Sweden were asked to participate in the study. The adolescents were divided into two groups according to their background: immigrants and non-immigrants. Data on caries prevalence were extracted from the dental records of the examination made when the participants were 15 years old. The proportions of immigrants and non-immigrants free from carious lesions were equal. Immigrant adolescents, however, had on average more enamel carious lesions. Adolescents born in Sweden of immigrant parents or who had arrived before 1 year of age had a caries prevalence similar to those of non-immigrant adolescents, whereas children who had immigrated to Sweden after 7 years of age had a caries prevalence that was 2-3 times higher. As the caries carious lesions in immigrant adolescents is mainly restricted to the enamel, and possibly reversible, early introduction of preventive programmes seems essential.