title: Knowledge and attitude of Saudi mothers towards their preschool children's oral health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine knowledge and attitude of Saudi mothers towards their preschool children's oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and one mothers (of children aged 16 to 40 months) attending well-baby clinics at Security Forces Hospital Polyclinics in Makkah Al-Mukarrama participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect the required information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A great majority (92.1%) of the mothers agreed that "baby teeth are important for child's general health. Similarly, 90.1% of the mothers agreed that "using fluoridated toothpaste helps to prevent tooth decay". About four in every ten mothers (43.6%) agreed that a child should be allowed to use a bottle at-will when he/she becomes able to hold it. More than half of the mothers (54.5%) agreed that letting baby sleep with bottle still in the mouth was of no harm to teeth. A significantly (p=0.04) higher percentage of high Socioeconomic status (SES) mothers as compared to middle SES mothers (85.9% versus 55.6%) agreed that "frequent feeding with milk or milk formula is of no harm to baby's teeth". A significantly (p=003) higher percentage of the middle SES mothers as compared to high SES mothers (66.7% versus 17.4%) agreed that a child should only visit a dentist in case of a dental pain/problem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mothers need to be educated in several important areas related to feeding, diet and first dental check-up visit of their children.
authors.affiliation: Ali M Al-Zahrani, MSc, Security Forces Health Center, Makkah Al-Mukarrama.
authors.forename: Ali M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Zahrani
authors.affiliation: Abdullah S Al-Mushayt, PhD, Pediatric Dentistry, Al-Qassim Private Dental College.
authors.forename: Abdullah S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al-Mushayt
authors.affiliation: Meshari F Otaibi, PhD, Security Forces Health Center, Makkah Al-Mukarrama.
authors.forename: Meshari F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Otaibi
authors.affiliation: Amjad H Wyne, MDS, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, King Saud University College of Dentistry, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Amjad H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wyne
keywords: Attitude; Knowledge; Mothers; Oral health; Preschoolers
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