Published Paper Details:

"A STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING DENTAL PROBLEMS AND ITS PREVENTION AMONG PARENTS HAVING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN RESIDING IN SELECTED AREA OF JODHPUR." AUTHOR: DIVYA SHARMA Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dental caries is a global public health concern and is also the most prevalent non-communicable disease.5 Over the years, there has been reduction in the prevalence of dental caries in the developed nations, probably due to the application of preventive measures6, dental caries has become even more widespread in developing countries like India. This can be attributed to poor public health awareness regarding the disease and its preventive measures.7 Dental caries, a common disease in children, is considered a major public health problem globally and if left untreated, it can affect a child's quality of life in the form of pain, discomfort, inability to chew, dental sepsis, etc., which may result in loss of school days.8 Poor oral health also has a significant impact on the growth and cognitive development of a child by interfering with nutrition, concentration, and school participation.9 Methodology A quantitative research approach and descriptive research design were adopted. The sampling technique used for the study was Purposive sampling. Parents who have children (preschool age group) and who met the inclusion criteria were selected as samples for the study. The sample size was 120 parents of preschool children. The tool used for data collection was a self-modified questionnaire consisting of two sections Demographic variables, and structured questionnaire. Result: The result shows that the knowledge score, Among the total numbers of the sample (120), 76 (63.3%) sample had inadequate knowledge, 29 (24.2%) of the sample had moderately adequate knowledge and 15 (12.5%) of the sample had adequate knowledge regarding the dental problem and its prevention among parents having preschool children with Mean score of 10.79 and S.D. score of 6.371. Regarding the association between knowledge regarding the dental problem and their prevention among parents having preschool children, knowledge was independent of "Parents participated in the interview, and food habits", and dependent on "occupation of father, education of father, occupation of mother, education of mother, Family income of parents, and previous knowledge about dental health problem". Conclusion The study shows there is a lack of knowledge and negative attitude regarding dental caries among primary school children's parents. The planned teaching program is one of the best methods to improve knowledge and attitude regarding dental caries among primary school children's parents. Keywords; Knowledge, Dental Problems, Prevention, Preschool Children.