Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception of Oral Health Among Parents of Children at Risk of Infective Endocarditis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious complication primarily affecting patients with cardiac conditions. It is widely recognized that oral microorganisms contribute to the development of IE.

Objectives: The objective is to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perception of parents of children at risk of IE by studying the preventive measures employed by them.

Materials And Methods:  A self-constructed questionnaire composed of 14 questions was distributed among parents of children aged 0-12 years with known cardiac diseases. The parents/caregivers who were attending the pediatric outpatient clinics at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) were selected randomly. ResultsA total of 112 parents responded to this questionnaire. Almost 50% of the participants in this study reported that their children do not brush their teeth regularly, with only 12.5% of them brushing twice a day. Regarding the role of parents in supervising oral hygiene, 62.5% of them stated that they only provide advice but do not watch their child brush their teeth, and only 9.8% of parents are actively involved in advising and watching their children brush their teeth. In this study, 95.5% of parents agreed that maintaining good dental health was crucial for overall body health, and 58% of the participants showed interest in receiving more education about oral health and its impact on overall well-being. To assess the statistical significance, a nonparametric Pearson's chi-square test for fitness was employed. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was used to report the statistical significance of the results. ConclusionWhile the parents demonstrated adequate knowledge of oral health, their attitudes toward it were lacking. So, both parents and children require a modification in their attitudes toward dental care and oral health.