Abstract

Taking into consideration that children have low dental care skills, hence they need sustained guidance, oral health education is imperative to be started at an early age, in the family, as well as in the children’s play and learn environment. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess preschool children’s behavior and knowledge regarding oral hygiene, foods that cause tooth decay and their addressability to the dentist. Material and methods: 90 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years, from three kindergartens in Bucharest, were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire on oral health knowledge and behavior was administered, the questions were read to the children and the answers were noted. Ethical approval was obtained from the parents and kindergarten directors. Results: 45.6% of the subjects brushed their teeth once a day; 48.9% performed dental brushing alone, one third (38.9%) assisted by the mother and the rest (12.2%) by the father. 57.8% have not seen a dentist, neither for treatment nor for consultation. 36.7% declared they have experienced dental pain, and 18.9% missed kindergarten due to it. 44.4% had knowledge of foods causing dental caries, and 35.6% knew what dental caries are - they have heard the term and explained it in their own words. Conclusions: Most preschool children display a low level of knowledge and incorrect oral hygiene behavior. Taking into consideration that long-term healthy behaviors develop at young ages and young children depend on their family and kindergarten educators as behavior role models and sources of information, health education should be directed towards families and educators.

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