EVALUATION OF PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ORAL HEALTH OF A PRESCHOOL CHILDREN POPULATION.

During the past decade there is an alarming increase in prevalence of dental caries globally. Dental caries can affect the quality of life thru a variety of problems, such as dental and oral pain, school absenteeism, lack of attention, and poor oral health as an adult. The purpose of this study is to evaluate parental knowledge and attitudes about oral health of their preschool children in Sibiu. A descriptive design was used with a convenience sample of 75 parents of children who attended five local preschools from Sibiu. Results showed that parents lacked knowledge in some aspects of oral health care, such as breast feeding, brushing and flossing baby teeth, the importance of fluorides and the necessity of early dental check-ups of the child. Parents should be able to supervise and teach children different attitudes related to oral health care and to collaborate with medical doctors and nurses for guidance and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]