A STUDY ON PARENTAL AWARENESS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S FIRST DENTAL VISIT IN PAKISTAN

Introduction: Contrary to earlier misconception, when people, undermining importance of the oral health, used to go to dentists for the treatment of their ailing teeth only at the time they could not bear the pain, it is now realized and accepted universally that oral health is an essential part of the general health of any age group be it adults or children. Aims and objectives: The basic aim of the study is to analyze the parental awareness and behaviour about their children's first dental visit in Pakistan. Material and methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Punjab Dental Hospital, Lahore during 2018. The data was collected through a questionnaire. We chose a convenience sample of 300 participants. There have been no similar studies to extrapolate or calculate the sample needed. Parents were approached during their visits to our outpatient and inpatient departments. We excluded parents of children with such conditions as developmental delay, musculoskeletal disability, and respiratory compromise, as their needs in a dental home could be very challenging. Results: Majority (29%) of the children visited the dentist for the first time at the age of 3–6 years while the least percentage (8%) visited the dentist for the first time at age 0–1 year. A statistically significant difference was found between the responses (P ≤ 0.05). Majority (72.67%) of children were being accompanied by parents during their first dental visit. Majority (40.33%) of the parents said that overall experience of the first visit of their children was good. Conclusion: It is concluded that bulk of the parents were unaware about the appropriate age of their children's first dental visit. Most of the parents brought their children to dentist after their children experienced pain or suffered from dental caries