Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Pediatricians and General Dentists toward Infant Oral Health Care, Jaipur

Abstract

Introduction Oral health is the foundation upon which dental health must be built. Pediatricians examine infants several times during their 1st and 2nd years of life. Parents usually seek pediatricians’ advice in securing their child's normal growth and development. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding infant oral health in pediatricians and general dentist and to make aware about the preventive oral health care (OHC) needs for the infants to their parents. Materials and methods A total of 100 pediatricians and 100 general dentists who participated in the study were randomly selected. Objective questionnaires related to infant OHC were distributed among the pediatricians and general dentists and asked to fill the pro forma. They were requested to fill an objective questionnaire without providing any oral health information. Results and conclusion The results were statistically analyzed and it was concluded that there was a lack of knowledge among pediatricians as compared to the general dentist but overall both lacked the current concepts of pediatric dentistry. How to cite this article Yadav SK, Nigam AG, Chinchalkar RP, et al. Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Pediatricians and General Dentists toward Infant Oral Health Care, Jaipur. J Mahatma Gandhi Univ Med Sci Tech 2020;5(2):69–71.

Knowledge of Primary Care Paediatricians on Children's Oral Health Care

“…4 Collaboration between primary care paediatricians and dentists is of paramount importance for the early identification and appropriate management of dental diseases in childhood. 1 Dr Ioanna Katsagani…”

“…Dental check-ups should not be overlooked in the physical examination of all children. 1 Paediatricians should aim to increase their knowledge and skills in baseline oral health, because they are the first clinicians who may timely troubleshoot on any relevant problems. 2 Therefore, continuous education in the field should be offered to medical students, residents and paediatricians.…”

“…Paediatricians can contribute significantly to their patients' health by improving their knowledge in the field and by incorporating basic dental check-ups into their daily routine practice. 1 Research in the field has shown that primary care practitioners may overlook oral and dental health, which may lead to delays in recognition and in appropriate management of dental disorders in childhood. 2 We performed a survey over a 5-month period among a random sample of primary care paediatricians in the area of Achaia in Western Greece, aiming to assess baseline knowledge of paediatricians in baseline dental health.…”