Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Concerning Infant Oral Health Care Among Parents in Tumakuru District”- A Cross Sectional Descriptive Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding infant oral health (IOH) in Tumakuru district, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 177 parents visiting the Outpatient Department of Paediatrics in Sri Siddhartha Medical College and the Outpatient Department of Pedodontics in Sri Siddhartha Dental College, Tumakuru district, Karnataka. A 24-item questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics and questions pertaining to knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding infant oral health care was used to collect the data. Results: Majority of the parents had good knowledge regarding decay caused by sweet food (66%), but had poor knowledge of fluoridated toothpaste (19.7%) and first dental visit (25.8%). There was no significant results on knowledge scores (p=0.587), attitude scores (p=607), and practice scores (p=0.251) between parents in our study .There was a statistically significant difference seen between the practice scores and educational level of the parent (p = 0.047) and the number of children a parent has (p = 0.050) when Kruskal-Wallis test was used. Conclusion: The pedodontic triangle plays an important role in the planning of oral health awareness programmes for parents, and this study reveals a new facet of that role. Information about infant oral health care, such as the use of nursing bottles at night, the significance of brushing teeth, and regular dental visits, should be given by health professionals in an appropriate and accurate manner. Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate parents knowledge, attitudes, and practises regarding infant oral health (IOH) in Tumakuru district, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 177 parents visiting the Outpatient Department of Paediatrics in Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Outpatient Department of Pedodontics in Sri Siddhartha Dental College, Tumakuru district, Karnataka. A 24-item questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics and questions pertaining to knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant oral health care was used to collect the data. Results: Majority of the parents had good knowledge regarding decay caused by sweet food (66%), but had poor knowledge of fluoridated tooth paste (19.7%) and first dental visit (25.8%). There was no significant results on knowledge scores (p=0.587),attitude scores (p=607) and practice scores (p=0.251) between parents in our study .There was a statistically significant difference seen between the practice scores and educational level of the parent (p = 0.047) and the number of children a parent has (p = 0.050) when Kruskal-Wallis test was used. Conclusion: The pedodontic triangle plays an important role in the planning of oral health awareness programmes for parents, and this study reveals a new facet of that role. Information about infant oral health care, such as the use of nursing bottles at night, the significance of brushing teeth, and regular dental visits, should be given by health professionals in an appropriate and accurate manner.