title: An exploration of the views of Australian mothers on promoting child oral health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An important role for parents and caregivers in the prevention of dental caries in children is the early establishment of health promoting behaviours. This study aimed to examine mothers' views on barriers and facilitators to promoting child and family oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of mothers (n = 32) of young children. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parental knowledge and beliefs, past experiences and child behaviour emerged as major influences on children's oral health. Child temperament and parental time pressures were identified as barriers to good oral health with various strategies reported for dealing with uncooperative children at toothbrushing time. Parental oral health knowledge and beliefs emerged as positive influences on child oral health; however, while most mothers were aware of the common causes of dental caries, very few knew of other risk factors such as bedtime feeding. Parents' own oral health experiences were also seen to positively influence child oral health, regardless of whether these were positive or negative experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding parental oral health beliefs is essential to overcoming barriers and promoting enablers for good child oral health. Improving child oral health also requires consideration of child behaviour, family influences, and increasing awareness of lesser-known influencing factors.
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Academic Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virgo-Milton
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Academic Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boak
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Academic Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoare
authors.affiliation: Deakin Health Economics, Deakin Population Health Social Research Centre, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Academic Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gussy
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.|Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calache
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Academic Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.|Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Silva
keywords: Beliefs; health behaviour; health promotion; oral health; parenting