Attitudes to dental care among parents of uncooperative vs. cooperative child dental patients.
The aim of this cross-sectional questionnaire study was to investigate four aspects of parents' attitudes to dental care (knowledge, child's oral health behavior, priorities and responsibility). One study group (n = 50) of parents of uncooperative child dental patients (aged 8-12 yr) was compared to a reference group (n = 113) of parents of ordinary child dental patients of similar age, and to a second study group (n = 36) of parents of uncooperative younger child patients (aged 4-7 yr). Study group parents had significantly lower socio-economic status and a higher level of dental fear as compared to parents of ordinary child patients. We found indications of a poorer dental knowledge and a differing responsibility-taking profile among study group parents. Their children also had sweets more often. As compared to parents of younger children, the older study group parents had lower socio-economic status and showed a lower responsibility-taking related to the child's treatment refusal. In conclusion, parents of uncooperative children differ from parents of ordinary child dental patients, not only in socio-economic status and dental fear, but also in aspects such as dental knowledge and responsibility-taking. These differences were partly related to the child's age.
Arnrup
Kristina
K
Department of Pedodontics, Postgraduate Dental Education Center, Orebro, Sweden. kristina.arnrup@orebroll.se
Berggren
Ulf
U
Broberg
Anders G
AG
Lundin
Sven-Ake
SA
Hakeberg
Magnus
M
D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012923:Social Class; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires