A Survey of Mothers' Attitudes in the Baby Dentistry Class at Our University Hospital

Abstract

In daily pediatric dentistry, parents regularly consult for an assessment of the oral health of their infants. However, awareness of infant oral health is rarely discussed by the pediatric dentist and the newborn's mother.

To eliminate the mother's worries about child care and the oral health of her children, and to provide support for child-rearing, we investigated the current concerns of mothers regarding the oral health of their infants, among mothers who had taken a baby dentistry class at our university hospital. The following results were obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted in 2016 and 2017.

1. The highest percentage of mothers who attended the baby dentistry class were 35 to 39 years old (33.8%), with mothers aged 35 and over accounting for more than half of all mothers. The majority of the children were first-born (87.1%), while 38.1% were 6 months old. The sex distribution of the children was approximately equal.

2. The consultation rate for pregnant women's dental checkup was 99.3% and most of them were taken to our university hospital.

3. The common concerns that mothers had were about baby food.

4. The most common concerns of the mothers about their infants' oral health were dental caries.

Pediatric dentists not only provide dental caries treatment and help prevent them in children, but also give consultation and advice to mothers regarding oral growth and development to improve their children's oral health. Thus, we should try to help alleviate caregivers' anxiety about childcare and help support childcare.