EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES AND INFANT ORAL HEALTH: AWARENESS AND PERSPECTIVES OF DENTISTS IN RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD

Background: Early childhood caries is one of the most common dental issues affecting children worldwide. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of the dentists in the prevention and management of early childhood caries. Methods: This study was conducted at Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Rawalpindi, from Dec 2021 to Jun 2022. Three hundred dentists from the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad were contacted using a questionnaire in a cross-sectional study about their concepts towards early childhood caries and infant oral health. Their responses were analysed on SPSS-21. Results: Out of 300 participants, 86 (28.7%) participants had excellent scores (>80%), 204 (68.0%) had average scores (61-79%), while 10 (3.3%) had poor score of their knowledge of infant oral health and early childhood caries. Conclusion: Majority of the dentists had adequate knowledge about the various aspects included in maintaining good oral hygiene. Pak J Physiol 2024;20(4):52-55, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v20i4.1643