Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Perinatal and Infant Oral Health among Healthcare Workers and Students of Medicine and Dentistry

Aneta Lazarova; Olga Kokoceva Ivanovska; Elizabeta Gjorgievska

doi:10.5937/medrec2402049L

Aneta Lazarova Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, UKIM, Skopje
Olga Kokoceva Ivanovska Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, UKIM, Skopje
Elizabeta Gjorgievska Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, UKIM, Skopje

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/medrec2402049L

Keywords: Knowledge, Early Childhood Caries, Infant’s Oral Health, Health workers

Abstract

A shared approach, coordination, and care for oral health as an integral part of general health should be imperative for every primary healthcare worker. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding perinatal and infantile oral health in different groups of health professionals in North Macedonia.

The survey was conducted from January 2020 to January 2021 with the distribution of an anonymous survey questionnaire electronically in the form of a Google Document to a different profile of healthcare professionals from primary healthcare in North Macedonia, as well as students of dentistry and medicine. The questions examined early childhood caries knowledge, attitudes about their role in preventing childhood oral health, and practices for promoting good oral health.

It was determined that 85.7 percent of doctors believed they need additional oral health education, 93.9 percent of respondents believed that they must educate parents/guardians about the importance of the preventive measures to maintain children’s oral health and that they must advise parents in case of suspected caries to visit a dentist/pedodontist. Only 46.9% of respondents knew that cariogenic bacteria can be transmitted vertically from mother to newborn. A small percentage (26.5%) of respondents knew that white spots on baby teeth are early signs of caries.

A Guide to Perinatal and Infant’s Oral Health for all health professionals who are in contact with a child in the first years of life would help to properly guide and educate parents in preserving infants` oral health.

References

Murthy GA, Mohandas U. The knowledge, attitude and practice in prevention of dental caries amongst pediatricians in Bangalore: a cross-sectional study. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2010; 28(2): 100-3.

Subramaniam P, Babu KL, Babu PS, Naidu P. Oral health care of children: gynecologists and pediatricians’ perspective. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2008; 32(3): 253-8.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health 2016. Australia’s health series no. 15. Canberra: AIHW; 2016; Cat. no. AUS 199; p513

Alsharif A, Kruger E, Tennant M. Future projections of child oral-related hospital admission rates in Western Australia. Aust J Prim Health 2016; 22(6): 491-6.

Dye BA, Thornton-Evans G, Li X, Iafolla TJ. Dental caries and sealant prevalence in children and adolescents in the United States, 2011–2012. NCHS Data Brief 2015; 191: 1-8.

Pitts N, Chadwick B, Anderson T. Children’s Dental Health Survey 2013. Report 2: Dental Disease and Damage in Children England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Leeds: Health & Social Care Information Centre; 2015; http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB17137/CDHS2013-Report2-Dental-Disease.pdf

Ayele FA, Taye BW, Ayele TA, Gelaye KA. Predictors of dental caries among children 7-14 years old in Northwest Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2013; 13: 7.

Peltzer K, Mongkolchati A. Severe early childhood caries and social determinants in three-year-old children from Northern Thailand: a birth cohort study. BMC Oral Health. 2015; 15: 108.

GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 [published correction appears in Lancet. 2017 Oct 28; 390(10106):e38]. Lancet 2017; 390(10100): 1211-59.

Oral health in America: a report of the Surgeon General. J Calif Dent Assoc 2000; 28(9): 685-95.

De Grauwe A, Aps JK, Martens LC. Early Childhood Caries (ECC): what’s in a name? Eur J Paediatr Dent 2004; 5(2): 62-70.

Colak H, Dülgergil CT, Dalli M, Hamidi MM. Early childhood caries update: A review of causes, diagnoses, and treatments. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2013; 4(1): 29-38.

Abuhaloob L, MacGillivray S, Mossey P, Freeman R. Maternal and child oral health interventions in Middle East and North Africa regions: a rapid review. Int Dent J 2019; 69(6): 409-18.

Köhler B, Andréen I. Mutans streptococci and caries prevalence in children after early maternal caries prevention: a follow-up at 19 years of age. Caries Res 2012; 46(5): 474-80.

Paglia L, Colombo S. Perinatal oral health: focus on the mother. Eur J Paediatr Dent 2019; 20(3): 209-13.

Holt K, Kolo S, Louie R. Title V National Performance Measure 13 (Oral Health): Strategies for Success. (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, Georgetown University; 2000.

Oral Health During Pregnancy Expert Work Group. Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement. Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center; 2012.

Plutzer K, Spencer AJ. Efficacy of an oral health promotion intervention in the prevention of early childhood caries. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36(4): 335-46.

Broughton J, Person M, Maipi JT, at al. Ukaiponiho: the place of nurturing for oral health. N Z Dent J 2014; 110(1): 18–23.

Indira MD, Dhull KS, Nandlal B. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice toward Infant Oral Healthcare among the Pediatricians of Mysore: A Questionnaire Survey. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2015; 8(3): 211-4.

Anand A, Sharma S, Prajapati VK, Tanwar AS. Knowledge and attitude of pediatricians and family physicians regarding pediatric dentistry in Patna. Int J Sci Stu 2017; 5(2): 136-9.

Hagan JF, Shaw JS, Duncan PM, eds. Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents. 4th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2017.

Every Woman Every Child. Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030). New York 2015.

Crockett HA, Sanders JJ. SC Department of Health and Environmental SC Control, Division of Oral Health, Oral Health Advisory Council. Oral Health Care for Pregnant Women SC Guidelines. Updated 2017.

Sezer RG, Paketci C, Bozaykut A. Paediatricians’ awareness of children’s oral health: Knowledge, training, attitudes and practices among Turkish paediatricians. Paediatr Child Health 2013; 18(4): e15-e19.

Gupta SK, Gupta S, Gojanur S, Kour G, Singh K, Rani P. Pediatricians’ view on early childhood caries and oral health in a north region of India: A cross-sectional study. J Family Med Prim Care 2019; 8(1): 220-4. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_201_18

Bozorgmehr E, Mohammadi TM, Hajizamani A, Vahidi A, Khajoee F. Knowledge, attitude, and practices of pediatricians about children’s oral health. J Oral Health Oral Epidemiol 2012; 1(2): 93-98;

Alshunaiber R, Alzaid H, Meaigel S, Aldeeri A, Adlan A. Early childhood caries and infant’s oral health; pediatricians’ and family physicians’ practice, knowledge and attitude in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Dent J. 2019; 31(Suppl): S96-S105.

World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive PregnancyExperience. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization 2016.

FDI World Dental Federation Policy statement. Preventing Oral Diseases. Geneva: FDI World Dental Federation; 2017.

National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. Facts about tooth decay. Available at: http://www.ncohf.org/resources/tooth-decay-facts. Accessed July 18, 2016;

ACOG Women’s Health Care Physicians, Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. Committee Opinion No. 569: Oral health care during pregnancy and through the lifespan. Obstet Gynecol 2013; 122: 417–22.

Anil S, Anand PS. Early childhood caries: prevalence, risk factors, and prevention. Front Pediatr 2017; 5(157): 1–7.

Pinar АЕ. Dental Caries - Diagnosis, Prevention and Management. 2018. Early Childhood Caries Update.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Perinatal and infant oral health care. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2020: 252-6.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Guideline on periodicity of examination, preventivedental services, anticipatory guidance/counseling, and oral treatment for infants, children, andadolescents. Pediatr Dent 2016; 38 (special issue): 132-41.

Hadjipanayis A, Grossman Z, Del Torso S, Michailidou K, Van Esso D, Cauwels R. Oral health training, knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary care paediatricians: a European survey. Eur J Pediatr 2018; 177(5): 675-81.

Balaban R, Aguiar CM, Da Silva Araujo AC, Dias Filho EBR. Knowledge of paediatricians regarding child oral health. Int J Paediatr Dent 2012; 22(4): 286–91.