Postgraduate Student, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences
Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Professor, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences
Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Professor and Head, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences
Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a devastating complex of diseases resulting from defects of development. It affects more than 1 of every
100 live births. Early preventive dental care should be adjusted to the special needs of these children in their first years of life. Knowledge of
parental attitudes and experiences of dental care are therefore important.
Aim: This study was done to assess the knowledge and attitudes among parents of children with congenital heart disease towards oral
health and dental care.
Materials and methods: Parents (n = 105) of children with congenital heart disease of an age ranging from 0 to 16 years were included in the
study. A questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and oral health attitudes.
Results: The parents’ knowledge was fair but the oral health attitudes were not very satisfactory. The parents in this study also recognized
the importance of oral health for the well-being of rest of the body.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that parents’ and children’s attitudes toward oral health and dental care need to be improved.