Parental preferences for dental caries treatment in preschool children according to socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition

Authors

  • LC Diel Pediatric Dentistry Department, São Leopoldo Mandic Dental School, Campinas, SP
  • J Abanto Paediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain-Paediatric Dentistry Department, School of Dentistry, Paulista Association of Dental Surgeons (FAOA), São Paulo
  • JL Ferreira Antunes Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo
  • JC Pettorossi Imparato Pediatric Dentistry Department, São Leopoldo Mandic Dental School, Campinas, SP
  • L Franco Ramos Paediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona
  • F Guinot Jimeno Paediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona
  • L Butini Oliveira Pediatric Dentistry Department, São Leopoldo Mandic Dental School, Campinas, SP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2022.23.02.07

Keywords:

Dental caries, Preschool children, Parents

Abstract

AIM: To assess parental preferences for dental caries treatment and its association with socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition. METHODS: Study design: Cross-sectional study. This study was conducted among 512 parents of 2- to 5-year-old children in the State of Tocantins, in the North Region of Brazil. A self-administered questionnaire on preferences for dental caries treatment, socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition was responded by parents considering two hypothetical clinical scenarios: if their child had one or more asymptomatic caries lesions (without pain), one or more symptomatic caries lesions (toothache). Poisson regression models fitted the association between explanatory variables and the preference to conservative interventions. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that parental preferences for dental caries treatment in preschool children depend on mother's age and education level, as well as on beliefs about the primary dentition.