An online survey of oral health behaviours and impact on young children and families in Wales

Introduction Studies outside Wales have consistently reported reduced quality of life as measured by the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale. With relatively high levels of tooth decay in Wales as found through the regular dental surveys, it is important to understand different oral health-related behaviours and impact so that findings can inform oral health promotion in Wales. Methods An oral health questionnaire was made available to volunteers registered with Health Wise Wales. Parents of children (2-6 years old) participated in the study. Frequency analyses were carried out to understand the oral health-related behaviours and regression analysis was carried out to understand the predictors of reported oral health impacts. Results Overall reported oral health impact was low in this study. In total, 20% of parents reported that their child brushed their teeth less than twice a day and 23% reported toothbrushing without adult supervision. Drinking plain water twice a day or more was associated with good oral health in children. Conclusion Overall, reported oral health impact was low, which is likely to be due to under-representation of study participants from the deprived areas in Wales. There is plenty of room for improvement in oral health-related behaviours.