Oral health behavior, knowledge, and attitudes of children, mothers, and schoolteachers in Romania in 1993

Abstract

In Romania an increasing level of dental caries in children has been observed. The present study was undertaken to describe the oral health behavior of schoolchildren in the first grade, to assess the level of oral health knowledge and attitudes among the mothers, and to describe oral knowledge and attitudes to prevention among the schoolteachers. A total of 322 mothers of grade-1 children (response, 89%) and 97 schoolteachers (response, 86%) participated in the study. Data on mothers and children were collected through personal interviews, whereas the teachers responded to self-administered questionnaires. A significant proportion of the mothers knew about the causal factors in dental caries; however, relatively few were aware of the harmful effect of hidden sugar. Most of the mothers were aware of the importance of toothbrushing, but 33% also recommended the use of salt for prevention of periodontal disease. Of the children, 37% brushed their teeth at least twice a day; 26% had their teeth cleaned by their mothers every day. Sugar was mostly consumed in terms of milk with sugar, sugary breakfast cereals, biscuits, and sweets. The schoolteachers knew about the poor dental conditions in children and wanted to become involved in oral health education. Training of teachers should aim at improving their level of knowledge on oral health. The establishment of school-based oral health promotion programs in Romania is urgently needed.