Parents' perceptions and related factors of the oral health status of Brazilian children enrolled in public preschools

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate parents' perceptions of the oral health status of children enrolled in public preschools and associated factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with data collected via self-administered questionnaire. A total of 474 questionnaires were distributed in public preschools in the city of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. Poisson regression models were used in the multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). Results The study included 171 (36%) valid questionnaires. The prevalence of parents who perceived the oral health status of their children as negative was 29.8% (n = 51). Mother being unemployed (vs employed) increased by 16% the likelihood of parents perceiving the oral health status of their children as negative (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.31. Parents having (vs having not) observed difficulties in the child's ability to eat increased by 27% the likelihood of perceiving the child's oral health status as negative (PR 1.27; 95% CI 1.08-1.48), while child's tooth brushing 1-2 (vs 3 or more) times a day and family income up to 2 (vs 3 or more) minimum wages increased it by 14% (PR 1.14; 95% CI 1.03-1.27 for both). Current or past use (vs no use) of pacifiers increased by 12% the likelihood of parents' negative perceptions (PR 1.12; 95% CI 1.00-1.25). Conclusion We can conclude that unemployed mothers, low-income families, parents having observed child's feeding difficulties, child's tooth brushing 1-2 times a day, and current or past use of pacifiers contributed significantly to parents' negative perception of the child's oral health status. These factors are essential for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of actions aimed at controlling the oral health of children enrolled in public preschools.