Shaker Al Saad, Mohammed Al Bokhamseen, Thakib A Al Shalan.
Saudi parent`s knowledge about the importance of children`s primary teeth and prevention of dental diseases in Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia.
Pak J Orthodont Ped and Comm Dentistry Jan ;1(1):53-6.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Saudi parents in Al-Ahsa region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the importance of primary teeth and the methods of prevention of dental diseases. The parents (N= 1748) were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires that were distributed through the school authorities of seventeen primary schools for boys in Al-Ahsa. The questionnaire response rate was 54.46%(n=952). The results of this study show that most of the parents (71.1 %) do not know the complete number of primary teeth, 33.9% agreed that primary teeth are not important, and 45.1% agreed that it is better to extract the primary tooth when it causes pain to the child. Regarding the methods of prevention of dental diseases, most of the parents (72.6%) answered cleaning the teeth regularly is the best method for preventing dental caries, while only 47.4% indicated it is the best method for preventing periodontal diseases. Regular visit to the dentist was reported by much smaller proportion of the parents (15.4% and 21.1 %) as a best method for preventing dental caries and periodontal diseases respectively. The use of fluoride was indicated by same percentage (4.8%) as a best method for preventing both dental caries and periodontal disease. Efforts to increase the parent`s knowledge about the importance of primary teeth and methods of prevention of dental diseases are required.

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