רפואת הפה והשיניים - עיתון ההסתדרות לרפואת שיניים בישראל - כרך ל"ז, גיליון מס' 2 אייר תש"פ

Oral health knowledge among mothers from the Arab sector in Israel

Introduction Early childhood caries (ECC) is considered as one of the most chronic and prevalent childhood conditions (1). It is a major public health problem that substantially affects the life of individuals, families, and communities (2). It has a debilitating effect on development, speech, general health, and self-esteem, thus affecting the quality of life of children (3). ECC is a result of a multifaceted interaction of biological, genetic, and biochemical factors with an overlaying complexity of social determinants of oral health (4). Parents and caregivers influence their pre-school children oral health by establishing a routine dietary and health behaviors. These behaviors are influenced directly and indirectly by their knowledge on oral health (KOH), and their attitudes, beliefs and practices (5 ). Prevalence of ECC varies widely with several factors such as race, culture and ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), life style, dietary pattern, and oral hygiene practices and according to various factors that differ from country to country and from area to area. A review of the literature suggests that in most developed countries the prevalence of ECC is 1-12% (6). Within each country there are disparities in caries prevalence among children from different regions and ethnic backgrounds

(7). Studies of ethnic minority groups in China have revealed high caries prevalence among these groups (8, 9). A national survey from Israel showed inconsistent prevalence of ECC among 5 year old children: dmft was significantly higher among children from the Arab sector (4.85 ±3.83 compared to 2.21±3.15 for children from the Jewish sector). The proportion of caries free children was higher in the Jewish sector than in the Arab sector (49.9% vs. 14.9%). In both groups, the decayed teeth were the major component of the dmft (10). Dental caries is closely correlated to lifestyle and is more prevalent in communities with low SES, low education and low income (11, 12). The differences in oral health behavior, diet and exposure to fluoride might determine the disparities in caries levels between different socioeconomic strata within a country (10). Lack of KOH was found to be significantly related to the occurrence of caries in the 3-6 year-old age-group (13). Knowledge and awareness are necessary prerequisites for changes in behavior, including practices related to health and disease prevention (14). The behaviors established in childhood have extensive implications, not only on children’s current oral health, but also on their oral health as they grow into adults (15). A KOH study that was

Dr. Dagon N. Dr. Blumer S. Dr. Hijazi H. Prof. Peretz B. Dr. Ratson T.

Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, The

Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

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.2 רפואת הפה והשיניים, אייר תש״פ, כרך ל״ז, גיליון