title: Mothers' behaviours and knowledge related to caries experience of their children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Insufficient attention paid by public institutions to primary oral health protection measures has contributed to a poor oral health status in Kosovo, especially in children. Because the oral health promotion activities identified the significant roles of mothers in primary prevention, the aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and the behaviour of mothers in connection with the caries experience of their children.
  
  
  METHODS
  664 of the mothers who accompanied their children to dental visits were interviewed and data on maternal knowledge and attitudes towards the oral health of preschool children were collected. The children underwent dental examination and the dmft index was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dmft index in all children was 6.30 ± 3.23. A high prevalence of early childhood caries was recorded. The highest mean dmft was recorded for children whose mothers had finished primary and secondary school (6.41 ± 3.36 and 6.62 ± 2.87, respectively). The mothers displayed insufficient knowledge regarding dental visits, feeding, oral hygiene maintenance and the utilisation of fluoride/antimicrobial agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that the level of knowledge about oral health among interviewed mothers is very low to nonexistent. Mothers need to be educated and encouraged that they are a key factor in improving the oral health habits of their children. Since caries represents a serious public health problem in Kosovo, an overall preventive programme for oral health promotion is needed, including the oral health education of mothers.
authors.forename: Agim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Begzati
authors.forename: Ariana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bytyci
authors.forename: Kastriot
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meqa
authors.forename: Blerta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Latifi-Xhemajli
authors.forename: Merita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berisha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D055771:Serbia; D014099:Toothbrushing
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005459:Fluorides