Introduction. Knowledge of oral health (KOH) among mothers has an important influence on their children's oral habits and routines. Lack of maternal KOH had been related to the development of early childhood caries among preschool children. Aim. To assess KOH among mothers of 1–4 year-olds. Study design. Participating mothers completed a 3-part questionnaire on general demographic information, KOH of their children, and ranking of six food items according to their cariogenic potential. Results. Most of the 285 participating mothers had an academic education. Only 47% of the mothers correctly answered seven questions on KOH. The dentist was the main source for KOH. Most of the mothers (94.39%) were aware of the need to brush their children's teeth twice daily. Most of them (72.29%) did not know the correct fluoride concentration in their child's toothpaste. They ranked salty snacks as the least cariogenic food item. Most of the mothers were not aware that snacks and sweetened drinks should be consumed during meals, and two-thirds reported tasting food from their child's spoon. Conclusion. Overall, mothers of toddlers lacked basic knowledge of oral health issues and practices to follow for the prevention of their children's caries.

Objective: To examine whether general and dental health and habits of families were affected by the first-wave lockdown due to COVID-19, and whether these habits were related to family functioning, resilience and stress. Study design: A cross-sectional study using an online survey disseminated among families with kindergarten and primary school-aged children during the lockdown of March and April 2020. Results: A total of 361 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents adapted well to the changes imposed by lockdown and reported that they and their children had low anxiety levels and high mental resilience. Family functioning and behavior were positively correlated with nutrition habits and hygiene. General hygiene was positively correlated with oral hygiene. Respondents who reported requiring dental care had difficulties gaining access to it. Most respondents perceived that it is important to improve patients’ digital access to pediatricians and dentists during crises. Conclusion: The study showed that better family functioning was associated with better family hygiene and nutrition, parental resilience and lower mental stress among children.

positive attitude towards caries preventive measures was found among parents with higher awareness for preventive oral health measures and among bigger families. Mothers were more positive about fissure sealants than fathers. Mothers with up to 12 years of education tended to have a positive opinion regarding water fluoridation.

Objective: to test the association between Candida and mutans streptococci (ms), oral hygiene and caries levels and in children. Methods: 22 boys and 12 girls (age 6 to 14.5 years) participated in the study. Each participant received a toothbrush, and was asked to brush his/her teeth after proper instructions. Dental caries and oral hygiene were recorded. Candida and ms levels were determined in saliva samples. Results: Candida colonies were observed in 70.5% of the children. No association was found between Candida and caries or plaque and gingival indices. C. albicans-positive children demonstrated significantly higher brushing scores. Conclusions: Our findings may suggest that there is no clear association between Candida in saliva, and levels of cariogenic bacteria and caries risk in children.

Objectives:The Special Olympics Special Smiles (SOSS) Program provides oral health screening and data collection for athletes with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics events.Aim: This study evaluated the prevalence and severity of dental trauma among Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities who participated in the 2016 Israeli Special Olympics games. Methods:A free voluntary dental examination was offered to all participating athletes. The examination was performed by volunteer dentists who completed a standard SOSS examination form, which included questions on oral health status and evidence of dental trauma in the anterior teeth. The dental traumas were categorized by a modified clinical version of the Ellis classification for dental traumas, and they were combined into three main categories according to their severity. Chi-square analysis was used to find differences between gender and age in regard to the prevalence of dental trauma. Results:The sample consisted of 249 athletes with intellectual disabilities aged 10-65 years (mean 29.2 ± 11.24). The prevalence of dental trauma was 27.3%, of which 9.64% were categorized as mild and 17.67% as severe. Most of the traumas (94%) involved the maxillary incisors. Conclusions:The relatively high prevalence of dental trauma in special needs athletes revealed by this study's findings supports the need for using preventive measures, such as mouth guards, during sport activities. K E Y W O R D Sdental, prevalence, special needs, Special Olympics, trauma 34