Parental Health-Seeking Behaviors for Dental Caries in Children Aged 6-15: A Study from District Chakwal

Introduction Dental caries causes localized breakdown and destruction of the calcified tissues. Caries producing predisposing factors are most active among the school children, who often exhibit inappropriate dietary habits, and have very less or no guidance about basic oral hygiene. Children attending public schools or belonging to lower social-economic backgrounds are seen to have a higher occurrence of dental caries and poor status of oral hygiene.1 Oral infections result in loss of many productive hours every year worldwide, and decreases the quality of life.2 If oral disease during childhood is left unmanaged, it can lead to adverse consequences such as chronic pain, anomalies of oral cavity and face, abscess of teeth and soft tissues, bone destruction and spread of infections through blood. In the Eastern Mediterranean region, the pooled prevalence for carious dentition is 59-73% for children aged 6–15 years.3 The prevalence at the national level was reported to be 56-70% with some variation among the provinces.4 Dental caries have adverse effects on children’s dietary habits, consequently influencing their nutritional status.5 Four simple and effective interventions can prevent caries in children: proper tooth brushing, fissure sealants, periodic care seeking, and topical fluoride application. Parents play a fundamental role in maintaining the dental health of their children. Their attitude and knowledge undoubtedly are related to the dental health outcomes of children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore their knowledge and practices regarding children's dental health is important as these ultimately effect the care seeking behaviors and the ..............