Oral Hygiene Practices and First Dental Visit among Early Childhood Caries Children in Riyadh

The aim of the study was to determine oral hygiene practices and first dental visit pattern among Type II early childhood caries or nursing caries children in Riyadh. A sample of nursing caries children attending the dental clinics of King Saud University College of Dentistry, Riyadh Medical Complex, and Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital was selected for the study. The mothers of these children completed a self-administered questionnaire obtaining information about child's first dental visit and oral hygiene practices. A total of 74 nursing caries children, 34 (45.9%) male and 40 (54.1%) female, with a mean age of 55.0 (SD 20.0) months participated in the study and their mothers completed the questionnaire. Majority (53.9%) of the children were third. or higher issue of their parents. The mean age for commencing tooth brushing with or without assistance was 37.0 (SD 15.0) months. Only about onefourth (26.8%) of the children started tooth brushing at or before the age of 24 months. Only one in ten (11.3%) children had made their first dental visit for a routine check-up; others visited dentist due to a dental problem. Those who had visited a dentist, only 13% visited at or before the age of 12 months. Chi-square test showed no relationship (p > .05) between tooth brushing and variables such as birthorder and family size of the children. Similarly, no relationship (p > .05) was found between first dental visit and the two variables i.e. birth-order of the children and family size. It could be concluded that the commencement of tooth brushing was very late in nursing caries children in Riyadh, and that first dental visits were made vary late and most of these visits were prompted by a dental problem.