Evaluating Parental Knowledge and Awareness of Oral Care for Preschool Children in Kuantan, Pahang

Abstract

Background: Good oral health is an essential component of general health. Children's dental health, in general, is greatly influenced by their oral health. Parents significantly influence their children's lives and motivate them to maintain good dental health. This study aims to determine the parents' knowledge and awareness of preschoolers’ oral care in Kuantan, Pahang. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to evaluate parents' knowledge and awareness of preschool oral care in Kuantan, Pahang. A total of 134 parents who have children aged between 4 and 6 years old at the registered kindergarten with the Department of Social Welfare that fulfil the inclusion criteria were recruited using the convenience sampling method. Descriptive and correlation statistical analysis were employed in this study. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistic version 28.0 Results: This study reported that most participants were parents of more than 32 years, completed tertiary education level, and had monthly income between RM4,000 – RM10,000, with 53.7%, 70.1%, and 38.8%, respectively. Regarding knowledge level, more than half of parents had high knowledge (73.1%) of children’s oral care, and all parents had positive awareness (100%). There is no significant correlation between the level of knowledge and awareness with r=0.138 and p-0.112. Conclusion: Educational status may be associated with the knowledge level of children’s oral care. However, education may not influence parents’ awareness of pre-schooler’s children’s oral care. Thus, more awareness programmes on children’s oral care should be implemented in the community.