Evaluation of oral health knowledge and oral health status in mothers and their children with cleft lip and palate.

Objective: To assess the oral health knowledge of mothers of children with cleft lip and/or palate, analyzing the practical application of this information on the basis of the oral hygiene of the children and caries prevalence of mothers and children.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Pediatric Dentistry sector of the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies.

Patients: Mothers (n = 300) and their children with cleft lip and/or palate, ages 3 years to 5 years 6 months.

Materials And Methods: An interview with questions related to dietary habits and oral health knowledge and habits was conducted. Children and their mothers also were evaluated by intraoral clinical examination.

Results: Of the mothers, 47.3% displayed poor oral health status (Group A) and 52.7% had a satisfactory oral health status (Group B). Children in Group A presented a mean dmft of 6.0, whereas children in Group B had a mean dmft of 5.6. No significant differences were observed between groups. Mothers demonstrated a reasonable knowledge on prevention of dental caries and oral hygiene.

Conclusion: Even though the mothers interviewed had some knowledge on the causes and prevention of dental caries, other factors should be regarded as relevant in the caries process.