Abstract: This National Health and Morbidity Survey of Maternal and Child Health (NHMS 2016: Maternal and Child) aimed to determine mother’s perception of importance of their young children’s oral healthcare, practice of oral health and dental utilization of their child. All mothers with children aged 0-59 months, aged 15-49 years and last childbirth less than 2 years prior to the survey in the selected Living Quarters (LQs) were invited to participate in this survey. A face-to-face interview by trained research assistants using a structured questionnaire through mobile device application was used during the data collection period from mid-February until end of May 2016. About 26.8% (95% CI: 21.55 – 32.76) of mothers reported it is very important for them to look after their child’s teeth, 72.8% (95% CI: 66.87 – 78.06) reported it is important, while 0.3% (95% CI: 0.16 – 0.55) did not think looking after their child’s teeth is important. About 74.0% (95% CI: 71.51 – 76.37) of mothers reported they cleaned/brushed their child’s teeth or supervised their child’s tooth brushing daily, while 19.0% (95% CI: 17.12 – 21.02) reported they had only done so once a while. A low percentage of mothers (7.0%, 95% CI: 5.74 – 8.49) reported they had never ever cleaned/brushed their child’s teeth or supervised their child’s tooth brushing. About 73.3% (95% CI: 69.61 – 76.71) of mothers reported they had never brought their child for a dental visit (dental check-up/dental treatment) before. About 38.3% (95% CI: 34.53 – 42.17) of mothers opined that they need to bring their child for their first dental visit before their child was two years of age, 27.5% (95% CI: 24.67 – 30.42) when their child was two to three years old and 25.3% (95% CI: 22.89 – 27.89) when their child was four to five years old. A further 9.0% (95% CI: 6.44 – 12.34) of mothers reported not knowing when they should bring their child for their first dental visit. The findings highlight the need to need to promote greater awareness of the role of mothers in maintaining good oral health of their young children. Oral health promotion advice for mothers need to include good oral hygiene habits for the very young child as well as bringing children for their first dental visit before the age of two years.
Keywords: mother’s perception, young children oral healthcare, practice of oral health, dental utilization.
Title: Perceived Importance of Child’s Oral Health, Oral Health Practice and Oral Healthcare Utilization among Mothers
Author: Yaw Siew Lian, Natifah Che Salleh, Nurrul Ashikin Abdullah, Mohd Fuad Mohd Anuar, Noor Ani Ahmad, Norazizah Ibrahim Wong, Rajini Sooryanarayana, Tahir Aris
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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