Oral health situation of schoolchildren, mothers and schoolteachers in Saudi Arabia.
Studies of children, mothers, and schoolteachers were carried out in the Madina City, Saudi Arabia. The clinical examinations of dental caries in 6 year-olds (n = 240) showed a mean dmft score of 6.4 and 2.9 DMFT was found among 12 year-olds (n = 240). Questionnaires to the mothers demonstrated poor oral hygiene habits of the children and the consumption of sugar was extraordinarily frequent. Annual visits to the dentist was reported for 45 per cent of the children and 51 per cent of the mothers. The level of dental knowledge of the mothers (n = 460) was diffuse whereas the attitudes towards prevention were positive. Self-administered questionnaires to teachers (n = 120) revealed positive attitudes towards school-based oral health promotion. There is an urgent need for implementation of systematic oral health programmes for children in Saudi Arabia.
al-Tamimi
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University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department for Community Dentistry, Denmark.
Petersen
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PE
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012571:School Dentistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching
D019422:Dietary Sucrose