Association between socioeconomic factors, attitudes and beliefs regarding the primary dentition and caries in children aged 1-5 years of Brazilian and Colombian parents.

Abstract

Aim: To compare how parents' attitudes, knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics influence untreated early childhood caries in infants and preschoolers in Brazil and Colombia.

Background: Dental caries is a prevalent chronic disease affecting children worldwide. However, little research has explored the connection between parents' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about oral health and the occurrence of dental caries in their children's primary teeth.

Materials: Oral health information was evaluated in children aged 3 to 5 years with a questionnaire covering sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables, family information and questions about health knowledge and child's and parents' oral health. In addition, oral examinations have been carried out to determine the prevalence of untreated dental caries. A p-value of 0.05 and 95% reliability level were considered statistically significant.

Conclusion: Untreated caries in infants and preschoolers are influenced by socioeconomic status, maternal education, sugar consumption, oral hygiene, and parents' beliefs about primary dentition.