Investigating the Connection between Parental Education and Children’s Oral Health: An Extensive Examination in Western Romania for 11–14-Year-Olds

Abstract

(1) Background: This research is part of the Romanian oral health survey for children, aiming to determine correlations between the oral health status of 11–14-year-old schoolchildren and their parents’ educational levels, taking into account preventive behaviour and socioeconomic parameters. (2) Methods: a representative sample of 133 schoolchildren (72 boys and 61 girls), average age 12.26 ± 0.6 years, was examined by calibrated dentists. After obtaining ethical approval, a visual examination using ICDAS criteria was performed to classify visual caries lesion severity. Statistical analyses of the data were performed using SPSS 23, Spearman’s rank correlation and the Pearson correlation. (3) Results: Mean DMFT within the sample was 2.93 ± 2.70. High school was the most common level of education completed by the parents. A positive relationship was recorded between the mother’s level of education and the frequency of toothbrushing in children (rs = 0.02 *, p < 0.01), as well as with oral hygiene aids (rs = 0.17 *, p < 0.05). A negative significant correlation resulted between D3T index and the mother’s level of education (rs = −0.26 **, p < 0.01), as well as with the father’s education (rs = −0.17 **, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: The results of this study show that high caries prevalence could be associated with low educational level and socio-economic county-level variables, having an impact on the presence and severity of such lesions, as well as the absence of existing treatments.