Abstract
This study longitudinally examined how maternal periodontal disease symptoms relate to children’s oral hygiene status at 18-month and 3-year health checkups, aiming to provide foundational evidence for improving dental and oral health care quality in maternal and child health. The average age of the mothers was 33.0 years, with 31.0 % exhibiting symptoms of periodontal disease. At the 18-month checkup, children of mothers with periodontal symptoms had a lower rate of dental plaque. In contrast, there were no associations observed between maternal periodontal disease symptoms and dental plaque accumulation in children at the 3-year-old health checkup. Furthermore, findings suggest an association between worsening dental plaque accumulation in children from the 18-month checkup to the 3-year-old checkup and maternal age, as well as the absence of set snack times. Therefore, interventions promoting health guidance tailored to maternal age groups, and establishing rules for snack times are crucial for preventing dental plaque accumulation in children.
