Association between parenting style and plaque reduction following standardized oral hygiene education in preschool children

Oral hygiene behaviors in preschool children are influenced by multiple factors, including the family environment and parental approaches to child-rearing. Parenting style may represent an important behavioral characteristic influencing children’s engagement with preventive oral health practices and their response to oral hygiene education. This study investigated the association between parenting style and oral hygiene behaviors and evaluated whether plaque reduction following standardized oral hygiene education differed according to parenting style. This prospective comparative study included 61 children aged 4–6 years and their parents. Parenting style was assessed at baseline using the validated Turkish Parenting Attitude Scale, and participants were classified into democratic or overprotective parenting groups according to their dominant parenting style. Baseline plaque index (PI), children’s dmft, and parental DMFT scores were recorded. All children received standardized oral hygiene education, and PI was reassessed four weeks later. Group comparisons were performed using the chi-square test and independent-samples t-test. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) examined the association between parenting style and PI change after adjustment for baseline PI and child age. Household income ( p = 0.029) and dental attendance patterns ( p = 0.040) differed significantly according to parenting style. Children of democratic parents were more likely to attend regular preventive dental visits, whereas children of overprotective parents more frequently sought dental care only when symptoms occurred. No significant between-group differences were observed in children’s age, dmft scores, parental DMFT scores, or unadjusted PI reduction ( p > 0.05). However, after adjustment for baseline PI and child age, parenting style was significantly associated with PI reduction (F(1,57) = 4.374; p = 0.041; ηp² = 0.071), with greater adjusted PI reduction among children of democratic parents. Parenting style was associated with preventive oral health behaviors and showed a possible association with plaque reduction following standardized oral hygiene education after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Democratic parenting was associated with more regular preventive dental attendance and tended to show greater improvement in plaque control, although the unadjusted between-group difference was not statistically significant. These findings should be interpreted cautiously and warrant confirmation in larger studies. This study was retrospectively registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) on 21 June 2026 under registration number TCTR20260621007.