Perception of Saudi parents towards the problems related to primary dentition of their children residing in Riyadh city

BACKGROUND: The parental awareness and perceptions help in early recognition of problems in deciduous dentition, which will help us plan better preventive measures. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of Saudi parents residing in Riyadh towards the problems related to primary dentition of their children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the patients attending private dental institution in Riyadh city. Information about demographic details, questions related to maintenance of primary teeth, and future implications of poor primary dentition health were collected. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used for the analysis. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 1773 male and females filled up the survey form, which comprised of 28% males and 72% females, and maximum parents (68%) were university graduates. Overall better responses were in females and parents having more children. CONCLUSION: Over all mothers had a higher level of knowledge and positive attitude towards their children's oral health as compared to fathers. Developing and strengthening optimistic outlook among parents towards oral health especially primary dentition is utmost important.