Parental knowledge and attitudes towards dental developmental stage of children

Abstract

Background: Permanent teeth begin erupting around age 6, replacing all primary teeth by 12–13 years. Disrupted eruption timing or early primary tooth loss can cause malocclusion, crowding, and oral health issues (e.g., periodontal disease, decay, temporomandibular joint dysfunction). Parental awareness of dental developmental stages is critical for effective home care, professional preventive measures, and treatment adherence. This study evaluated parents’ knowledge of their children’s dental development in Ahvaz, Iran, using a questionnaire to identify gaps in understanding eruption timelines and tooth differentiation. Results highlighted the need for targeted education to improve oral health outcomes.

Methods: The study involved 96 parents of children less than 12 years of age were referred to the Pediatric Department of the Faculty of Dentistry, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, from August 2022 to December 2022. Parents’ knowledge and attitudes were assed using questionnaires that included an iintroduction to research, demographic information, knowledge (22 questions) and attitudes (12 questions). The researcher also asked the parent a question at the child's bedside about whether the teeth in the child's mouth were permanent or baby teeth. The data were analysed using SPSS software version 24, with a significance threshold set at P < 0.05.

Results: The results showed that the average score of parents’ knowledge and attitudes was 9.83 (from 22) and 43.17 (from 60), respectively, which showed that Parental knowledge was not favorable, but parental attitudes were relatively favourable. According to the results of the functional test taken from the parents, the parents' recognition ability decreased from the anterior teeth to the more posterior teeth, and the parents recognized the anterior teeth better.

Conclusions: The results indicated that parents had limited knowledge about their children's dental developmental stage. However, their attitudes towards dental developmental stage were positive. These findings highlight the necessity of enhancing parental knowledge about dental developmental stage to be aware of the importance of maintaining and caring for baby teeth in the same way as permanent teeth so that, if needed, the child's baby teeth receive appropriate health care and treatment, just like permanent teeth.