The Impact of Dental Care Programs on Individuals and Their Families: A Scoping Review

Augmenting quality of life and mental health through the promotion of accessible root canal therapy

Root canal therapy (RCT) is an extremely safe, effective, and painless procedure that is crucial to save a tooth that would have been otherwise extracted. As patients with tooth infections present with severe pain and inability to carry out routine oral functions, RCT plays a vital role in improving the quality of life of the patients. The RCT procedure not only plays a crucial role in the relief of physical pain but also significantly contributes to mental well-being. After realizing the benefits of RCT in improving the quality of life and positive impact on the mental well-being of the patients, we anticipate that all patients must timely receive the therapy, but then that is not the case due to the presence of various challenges and factors. The presence of these barriers envisages the need for the formulation of comprehensive policies, expansion of community outreach activities, and education of patients to improve access to RCT. In conclusion, RCT has been associated with multiple benefits. There arises the need to overcome the identified barriers to ensure that RCT becomes more accessible for a wide range of patients needing essential dental services.

Is Parental Rating of Child's Oral Health Associated with Caries Experience in Children? A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim

The Parents' view to the oral health of their children is a significant factor that can impact oral health practices and behaviors. The aim of this research was to investigate how parental assessment of their child's oral health associates with caries experience in children receiving dental treatment at the hospital of Taibah University Dental College.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 127 children who underwent dental treatment at Taibah University Dental College and Hospital during 2020-2021. Dental caries experience was assessed using the dmft/DMFT index, and parental rating of oral health was obtained through a questionnaire. Three logistic regression models were used to assess the correlation between dental caries experience and parental rating of oral health while controlling for sociodemographic and behavioral factors.

Results

Most parents rated the oral health of their child as good (60.4%), followed by excellent (18.8%) and very good (15.6%). The mean dmft/DMFT score was 3.47 ± 3.46, with 43.8% of children having high/very high dental caries experience. Logistic regression analysis showed that children whose parents rated their oral health as poor were more likely to have high/very high dental caries experience compared to those rated as excellent/very good/good/fair (adjusted odds ratio = 4.45, 95% confidence interval 1.23-16.07).

Conclusion

This study suggests a link between parental assessment of their child's oral health and an elevated prevalence of dental caries in children. The study found that children whose parents rated their oral health as suboptimal had higher odds of having high dental caries experience. These findings emphasize the significance of parental perception of their child's oral health and suggest a necessity for customized interventions to enhance parental knowledge and practices concerning children's oral health.