Knowledge of Oral Hygiene among Parents of Primary School-Going Children Attending the Outpatient Department of Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Oral diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases worldwide, and preventive oral-health behaviours begin early in life. Parents play an important role in shaping children's oral-hygiene routines, dietary behaviours, and use of dental services. This study assessed oral-hygiene knowledge among parents of primary school-going children attending a tertiary-care hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College and Hospital, Uttara, Dhaka, from June to September 2013. A total of 200 parents were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured Bangla questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics and oral-hygiene domains, including tooth-cleaning frequency and duration, brushing technique, toothbrush and toothpaste, fluoride, mouthwash, interdental cleaning, dental attendance, and dietary habits. Correct responses were assigned a score of 1, whereas incorrect or unanswered responses were scored 0. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Among the 200 respondents, 51.0% had completed higher secondary education. Toothbrush and toothpaste were reported as the main tooth-cleaning method by 91.5% of respondents. Only 34.5% reported brushing twice daily, while 5.5% selected 2–3 minutes as the brushing duration and 30.5% did not know a brushing technique. More than half (53.0%) did not know whether their toothpaste contained fluoride, and 95.0% did not know its preventive purpose. Only 27.5% identified sweetened foods as a cause of dental decay, whereas 58.5% did not know. Overall, 26.0% of respondents had poor knowledge, 43.0% had fair knowledge, and 31.0% had good knowledge. Good knowledge showed a descriptive increase with higher educational attainment. Conclusion: Substantial gaps were identified in parents' knowledge of tooth brushing, fluoride toothpaste, interdental cleaning, and dietary risks. Parent-focused oral-health education, integrated with school- and community-based oral-health services, may help strengthen preventive practices. However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously because the study used a single-centre purposive sample and the original research report contains some internal data inconsistencies. These figures should be verified against the original dataset before final submission.