SELF-REPORTED KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIORS RELATED TO ORAL AND DENTAL HEALTH IN TURKISH CHILDREN

Aim: The purpose of the study was to present oral-and dental health-related knowledge and behaviors of children who presented to Akdeniz University Medical Faculty Pediatric Outpatient Clinic between March 1 and May 1, 2006 for non-dental health reasons. Method: Data were collected from a total of 173 children. A survey which contained questions about the children's oral and dental health was completed using face-to-face interview technique. Results: Forty-eight percent of the children were 5-6 years old and 68.8% were not going to school. It was determined that 43.3% of the mothers of the children in the study had a primary-school level of education and 74.6% were housewives. It also was determined that 49.1% of the children had never had a cavity, 43.4% stated that they brushed their teeth after meals, and 30.6% stated that they brushed at least once a day. More than sixty percent of the children spent their allowance on chocolate, chips, cola, candy, and other acidic drinks. A significant relationship was found between the children's ages and having a caries in this study. There also was a statistically significant relationship between the parents' tooth-brushing habit and the children's tooth brushing, and between the parents' frequency of tooth brushing