Parental Attitude towards the Provision of Nonsurgical Oral Health Care to Children with Oral Clefts: An Epidemiological Survey

AIM: To evaluate the attitudes of parents of 3 to 8 years old children with cleft lip and palate towards the provision of pediatric dental health care and assess the experience of dentistry in general dental practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to parents of 100 children in the age group of 3 to 8 years old with cleft lip and palate who visited the cleft lip and palate center in KS Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore. RESULTS: Out of the hundred patients, 66% of the patients registered directly at the cleft center for their deformity. Only 20% of these children visited a local dental practitioner for their dental health care. 42% had neither undergone any dental treatment nor received any dietary or oral hygiene advices. Regarding the provision of the dental treatment, 74% wanted a pediatric dentist to provide dental check-up and treatment at the cleft center, whereas, 24% preferred a dental practitioner close to their home and 2% does not want treatment anywhere. CONCLUSION: The survey indicates that there is parental support for the pediatric dental assessment at the cleft center with subsequent arrangement of dental treatment with their local dental practitioners. The majority wanted a pediatric dentist to provide the dental check-up and treatment at the cleft center.