Children's Oral Health Care Practices and their Dental Problems in Saudi Arabia 2024

Abstract

Background: Being free from oral and mouth infections, periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other conditions that impact millions of children makes oral health essential for overall health and a basic nursing duty. Aim: This study aimed to assess children's oral health care practices and their dental problems. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive design was conducted at outpatient dental clinics at Saudi University Hospitals. Tools of data collection involved I- a structured questionnaire to assess school age children knowledge as regards oral health care and dental problems. II- Dental Assessment Sheet to assess children's dental problems. III - Tooth brushing and flossing checklist (reported practice) to assess children's oral health care practices. Results: The study findings revealed that the majority (95%) of the studied children had decayed teeth. There was a highly statistically significant difference between studied children's decayed teeth and their total oral health care reported practices. Conclusion: The study concluded that the children's oral health care practices are tooth brushing and flossing technique and the children's dental problems are dental caries, dental injury and gingivitis and also concluded that there was appositive relation between children's oral health care practices and their dental problems. Recommendations: Educating the children proper tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing technique through mass media and limiting sugar-containing takeaway food and beverage consumption, to provide adequate nutrition for children.