Boys and their teeth: A qualitative investigation of boys' oral health in early childhood

This is a paper based on qualitative focus group interviews with 33 boys in early childhood (ages 5 to 7). The basis of the interviews was originally to understand the way in which boys come to perceive issues around masculinities, physical activity, sport and health. However, given the naturalistic manner of qualitative focus group interviews, additional themes were uncovered around boys' understanding of oral health, in particular the relationship between their teeth and health. At an age where the boys are gaining increasing levels of autonomy in terms of personal hygiene and individual health it appears that dental health is being neglected. The need to address this concern through developing functional health literacy is imperative for boys at this age. Schools are the ideal site in which such an initiative can occur with concomitant knowledge transferred back to the family home.