Work

Determinants of Parental Awareness of Dental Trauma in Preschool Children

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Parents' recognition of their children's oral health plays a crucial role, particularly regarding traumatic dental injuries (TDIs). This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with parents' recognition of TDIs in children aged 3-5 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 575 preschool children in the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Parents or guardians completed questionnaires addressing the history of TDIs, sociodemographic information, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Clinical examinations were conducted using Andreasen's criteria. Descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, and Poisson regression were performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of TDIs was 20.7%. A substantial proportion (44.5%) of caregivers failed to recognize dental trauma in their children. A lower number of children was inversely associated with recognition (PR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32-0.94), whereas the presence of impact on OHRQoL (PR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.06-2.01), enamel and dentine fractures (PR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.19-2.97), fractures with pulp exposure (PR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.06-3.31), and crown discoloration (PR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.37-3.02) were factors associated with greater parental recognition of TDIs. CONCLUSION: Parents' recognition of TDIs in their children is limited and influenced by clinical characteristics of the injury, its impact on quality of life, and the number of children.

Source: Dental Traumatology

DOI: 10.1111/edt.70030