Why has oral health promotion and prevention failed children requiring general anaesthesia for dental extractions?
OBJECTIVE
Many children in the UK still require dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA). Why oral health promotion and prevention, in this cohort of children, has failed is poorly understood. By questioning the parents/carers of children undergoing DGA this study aimed to establish: 1 previous exposure to oral health education and promotion activities; 2 beliefs and behaviours about dental caries and prevention; and 3 what parents perceive useful in preventing dental caries.


METHODS
A cross-sectional questionnaire based study.


METHODS
Dental general anaesthetic centres in Wales, UK.


METHODS
207 consecutively attending parents of children aged < 10 years requiring a DGA.


RESULTS
In total, 150 (76%) parents/carers claimed to have received previous oral health advice and 103 (52%) had received toothbrushing instruction from a dentist. Only 18 (9%) reported the application of topical fluoride. Sixty seven (34%) believed "tooth decay runs in families" and 53 (27%) it was simply bad luck that their child had dental decay. The majority (89%) believed that information leaflets on oral health would be useful and 133 (67%) would find information on a website helpful.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that there is a significant scope for increasing the exposure of high risk children to fluoride. A sense of fatalism and erroneous beliefs were evident amongst some parents/carers of children needing DGA. These issues need to be addressed in the future design of oral health promotion/prevention activities.
Dental Public Health, Public Health Wales, Mamhilad House, Mamhilad Park Estate, Pontypool, NP4 0YP. anup.karki@wales.nhs.uk
A J
AJ
Karki
D R
DR
Thomas
I G
IG
Chestnutt
D000328:Adult; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005460:Fluorides, Topical / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012923:Social Class; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014099:Toothbrushing; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014852:Wales; D055815:Young Adult
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005460:Fluorides, Topical