ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Dentistry
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2026-28-2-409-421
LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS REGARDING INDIVIDUAL ORAL HYGIENE

A.L. RUBEZHOV1, S.B. ULITOVSKIY2,3, N.E. ABRAMOVA1

1North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
2First Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after academician I.P. Pavlov, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
3Medical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Objective: To assess awareness of daily oral hygiene and health among children aged 4-7 years and their parents.

Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional design involving 35 children (aged 4-7 years) and their parents. Participants were interviewed regarding their oral hygiene practices, and structured questionnaires were completed based on their responses. A comparative analysis was performed on the corresponding answers from both groups to determine statistical significance. Following the assessment, participants received basic education on maintaining optimal oral hygiene.

Results: Analysis revealed statistically significant discrepancies between the responses of children and parents in three key areas: Oral Hygiene Reminders: While 100% of parents reported reminding their children to brush their teeth and rinse their mouths, 18% of children did not acknowledge receiving these reminders (p=0.012). Assistance with Toothbrushing: A significant difference in perception was observed (p=0.027): 71% of parents reported assisting regularly, whereas 46% of children reported inconsistent assistance (answering "sometimes"). Preventive Measures: The most significant discrepancy concerned the understanding of prevention (p=0.004). Children exhibited "single-factor thinking", with 46% identifying oral hygiene and 23% identifying sugar restriction as the sole preventive measures. In contrast, 69-78% of parents viewed prevention as a multifactorial process, selecting more than two factors.

Conclusion: While parental understanding of oral health factors is generally adequate, notable gaps exist in the practical implementation and communication of hygiene routines. Addressing these discrepancies is essential when developing age-specific oral hygiene guidelines. Given that prevention is superior to treatment, enhancing parental knowledge and its application remains critical to improving pediatric oral health outcomes.

Keywords: Oral hygiene, dental caries, prevention, questionnaire, survey, toothbrushing.

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Authors' information:

Rubezhov Aleksandr Leonidovich,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Clinical Dentistry, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov
Researcher ID: O-3929-2015
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0227-7869
SPIN: 6291-5135
Author ID: 422976
E-mail: Aleksandr.Rubezhov@szgmu.ru

Ulitovskiy Sergey Borisovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Head of the Preventive Dentistry Department, First Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after academician I.P. Pavlov; Professor of the Therapeutic Dentistry Department, Medical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University
Researcher ID: G-5261-2015
Scopus ID: 6506656407
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2070-0472
SPIN: 8543-2581
Author ID: 457231
E-mail: Sergio-1954@yandex.ru

Abramova Nataliya Evgenievna,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Clinical Dentistry, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov
Researcher ID: P-1717-2014
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0102-6723
SPIN: 7551-1150
Author ID: 633733
E-mail: Nataliya.Abramova@szgmu.ru

Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications

The research was carried out in accordance with the research plan of the North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov (state registration number – 121110800160-9). The authors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Abramova Nataliya Evgenievna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Clin- ical Dentistry, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mech- nikov

191015, Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg, Kirochnaya str., 41

Tel.: +7 (921) 9338112

E-mail: Nataliya.Abramova@szgmu.ru


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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