A Systematic Review of The Relationship Between Parental Stress and Early Childhood Caries

Abstract

Background: Until now, there has been a lack of comprehensive evaluation to establish the extent to which parental stress affects children's oral health, such as the occurrence of dental caries. This study aimed to explore the relationship between parental stress and early childhood caries (ECC). Objective: The objective of this review was to evaluate the association between ECC development and stress-related factors, including parental stress. Method: A comprehensive web-based search identified 12 studies that examined parental stress and Early Childhood Caries. Results: The research examined several areas related to parenting, including satisfaction with parenting, parenting-related stress, the parent-child relationship, and specific parenting practices. Out of 12 studies, 10 studies showed that there is a correlation between parental stress and the occurrence of early childhood caries, and 2 studies showed there is no association. Conclusions: The systematic review focuses on the work of researchers who have studied parental stress and how it is related to the occurrence of early childhood caries. A consistent association between parental attitude and oral health outcomes in children has been demonstrated by these studies. Despite several studies on the relationship between parental stress and early childhood caries (ECC), the overall literature is limited by methodological constraints that hinder the ability to establish a causal link between parental stress and ECC. Further study is also needed to advance our current understanding of the association of Early Childhood Caries and Parental Stress