RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Primary teeth are important for eating, speaking, and esthetics, as well as for guiding the eruption and maintaining the space for the permanent teeth. The best space maintainers (SM) for permanent dentition are the natural primary teeth. The aim of this study was to assess parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of primary teeth and SM in Saudi Arabia. METHOD: This cross-sectional study invited parents who were living in Saudi Arabia via different social media platforms to complete a validated questionnaire. The data collected included demographic characteristics, questions about parents' knowledge of their children's oral hygiene, and the importance of primary teeth, as well as questions about knowledge of SM. RESULTS: A total of 392 participants completed the questionnaire. Dental problems and pain were the most common reasons for visiting the pediatric dentist (n=260; 66.3%). With respect to the age at which the first primary tooth erupted, more than half of the parents (n=270; 68.9%) knew the correct age. Only 43.3% (n=168) of the parents had received any information about SM and only 39.5% (n=155) of them knew their purpose. CONCLUSION: Most parents agree that treating primary teeth is important for their children's oral health and development. However, most are unaware of an SM's purpose. We recommend that dentists discuss SM's importance with parents actively after extracting their child's teeth. This will help increase parents' awareness and understanding of SM and encourage them to be more informed about this dental treatment option.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in using social media to improve pregnant women's well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of social media (Snapchat) dissemination of health-promoting interventions on knowledge of oral health during pregnancy among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a single-blinded parallel group randomized controlled trial design, 68 volunteers were assigned to either a study group (SG) or a control group (CG). The SG received information about oral health during pregnancy via Snapchat, while the CG received the same information using WhatsApp. The participants were assessed three times: T1 prior to the intervention, T2 immediately following the intervention, and T3 as a follow-up 1 month later. RESULTS: A total of 63 participants completed the study in the SG or CG. According to paired t-test, total knowledge scores in the SG and CG increased significantly from T1 to T2 (p < 0.001) and from T1 to T3 (p < 0.001), but there was no significant change from T2 to T3 in either the SG or CG (p = 0.699 and p = 0.111, respectively). Using t-test, no significant differences were found between the SG and CG at T2 (p = 0.263) or T3 (p = 0.622). Also using t-test, no significant differences were found in the scores of the SG and CG from T2 to T1 (p = 0.720), T3 to T2 (p = 0.339), or T3 to T1 (p = 0.969). CONCLUSIONS: Using social media (e.g., Snapchat and WhatsApp) as a health-promoting intervention is a promising method for improving women's knowledge about oral health during pregnancy for short term. However, further studies are needed to compare social media with conventional standard lecturing methods. also, to assess the longevity of the impact (short or long term).
