'Tooth decay, go away!' : an oral health promotion workshop for toddlers and their caregivers

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) remains a pressing issue in Hong Kong. Around half of the 5-year old children in Hong Kong experienced tooth decay, with most of such teeth left untreated in the oral cavity. Taking into account the limited research conducted on children younger than three years old in Hong Kong as well as the lack of oral health programmes for toddlers, this study was designed to target this overlooked age group and their caregivers. Aim: To promote oral health of toddlers in Hong Kong through conducting oral health workshops. Methods: Toddlers between ages one to three were targeted in our workshop. A total of 106 toddlers were recruited via six participating service centres. A workshop consisting of four distinct components was planned: i) completion of questionnaires and caries risk assessment; ii) oral examinations of the toddlers; iii) oral health education which included oral hygiene instructions and individualized dietary advice and iv) dental treatment (if necessary). Results: The age of the participating toddlers ranged from 12 to 39 months old with a mean age of 21.5 months. 20 participating families (18.9%) were recent immigrants to Hong Kong. A majority of the 106 toddlers (83%) did not have any caries. Before the workshop, 90.6% of the participating families had the habit of cleaning their toddler’s teeth but with only 36.5% of such families performing it twice or more daily. After the workshop, almost all (99%) of participating families had the habit of cleaning their toddler’s teeth, with 65.7% brushing twice or more daily (p<0.05). As for the level of caregivers’ dental knowledge, weaker aspects identified included distinguishing the functions of fluoride and caries risks factors, as well as recognising the appropriate time for their children’s first dental visit. Participating caregivers’ knowledge on oral health improved after the workshop. Overall, caregivers found the workshop effective in allowing them to better understand about toddlers’ oral health (mean score: 4.45/5) and correct tooth brushing techniques (mean score: 4.41/5). Conclusion: The workshops successfully raised the awareness and increased the oral health knowledge of the participating caregivers, as well as encouraged the adoption of proper oral hygiene and dietary habits in the toddlers. Several misconceptions regarding the oral health knowledge amongst the toddlers’ caregivers in this study were identified and addressed. Similar workshops can be held in the future to improve the oral health of toddlers in Hong Kong.