title: Evaluation of the knowledge and attitude of expectant mothers about infant oral health and their oral hygiene practices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mothers play a crucial role in developing and maintaining their infants' oral hygiene. Maternal oral health, their knowledge and attitude toward infant oral health are strong indicators of their infant's oral health status.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of expectant mothers about infant oral health and their oral hygiene practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among expectant mothers in Mangalore city, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred expectant mothers fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly selected based on convenience method over a period of 1 month. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire addressing the various aspects of expectant mothers' knowledge and attitude about infant oral health and their own oral hygiene practices. The analysis was done using SPSS version 16.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall score revealed that majority of the expectant mothers had poor knowledge and attitude toward infant oral health and followed poor oral hygiene practices. Expectant mothers' educational qualification, trimester, and the number of pregnancy had a significant role in their knowledge, attitude, and oral hygiene practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of educational programs to motivate expectant mothers and bring out awareness about the importance of oral health and their implications must be emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Anoop
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Dhanalakshmi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kunhambu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sowmya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shetty
keywords: Early childhood caries; oral health promotion; prevention