Attitude, knowledge, and practices of Bahraini parents regarding children’s oral health and early childhood caries: A qualitative study

Background The high prevalence of caries in children in Bahrain necessitates understanding the parental factors that influence young children’s oral health as they depend on their parents for diet and oral hygiene. The study aims to explore parents’ attitude, knowledge and practices and the factors that influence them in relation to children’s oral health especially early childhood caries. Method A qualitative study using face to face interviews and semi-structured open-ended questions was conducted on a sample of twelve parents, recruited from a Pediatric dental clinic. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Parents cared about young children’s oral health in general. Early childhood caries were caused by multiple factors including misconceptions and lack of knowledge about fluoridated toothpastes, early introduction to and late weaning from bottle-feeding and early introduction and high consumption of free sugars especially sweetened drinks. Parents lacked knowledge about the cariogenicity of many dietary items, and about free sugars being a common risk factor. Multiple environmental, social and cultural factors affected parents’ choices and practices starting at birth such as living in joint families, fear of depriving children, and buying sugary items in bulk. Pain was the main instigator for seeking treatment and changing dietary and hygiene habits. Parents also recognised and recommended opportunities for prevention and early interventions. Conclusion Parents’ attitude, knowledge and practices related to children’s oral health, especially early childhood caries are affected by multiple environmental and cultural factors. Multilevel preventive and promotional programs are needed to raise awareness, make healthier options easy and tackle issues raised.