Dental health and parental attitudes in Finnish immigrant preschoolchildren in the north of Sweden

The aim of the present study was to investigate the dental health of 100 Finnish 4-6-year-old children in Luleå, in the north of Sweden, and to compare data with those from a matched control group of Swedish children of the same age, sex and social background. The study also included attitudes to dental health among the parents. The clinical examination included registration of decayed, extracted and filled teeth and surfaces (deft and defs), gingival bleeding points (GBI) and presence of open bite or crossbite. Posterior bitewings were taken. Data concerning among other things oral habits, dietary habits and fluoride prophylaxis were taken. A questionnaire about the parents' attitudes to their own and their children's dental health as well as their opinion about the dental care received by their children was filled in. The results showed that the average defs in the Finnish group was 12.2 compared to 6.4 in the Swedish group. The percentage of children with a defs greater than 12 was 43% in the Finnish group and 19% in the Swedish. The mean GBI% was 11.2% in the Finnish and 8.2% in the Swedish group. The results showed a statistically significant difference in tooth brushing frequencies between the groups, and a tendency to better dietary habits in the Swedish group. There were no differences in the use of fluoride tablets or fluoridated toothpaste. Forty-seven percent of the Finnish parents were denture wearers compared to 10% of the Swedish. The attitudes to dental health among the Finnish parents differed from those in the Swedish group. This difference in attitudes together with language problems were the factors found that could explain the difference in dental health between the immigrant group and the Swedish group.