{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T19:43:42Z","timestamp":1782848622772,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782777600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral Health"],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Parents play a pivotal role in shaping children's oral health behaviors and practices. This study aimed to assess parental awareness and attitudes regarding children's oral health and pediatric dental care, and to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic factors on these parameters.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n \n A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from June to December 2025 among parents of children aged below 10 years. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling from the Departments of Pediatrics and Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry at Yenepoya University. Data were collected using a Google Forms-based questionnaire. The sample size was calculated using Cochran's formula, yielding a final sample of 384 participants. Data were analyzed using the Pearson's chi-square test and multivariable binary logistic regression, with simultaneous adjustment for education and income. Statistical significance was set at\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009&lt;\u20090.05.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Regarding parental awareness, 53.6% acknowledged that problems in deciduous teeth can affect permanent dentition, 89.1% knew the recommended brushing frequency, 85.4% recognised the importance of diet in oral health, and 91.7% acknowledged pediatric dentistry as a dental specialty. However, 46.1% were uncertain about the benefits of fluoride, and only 33.9% identified all recommended preventive measures against dental caries. Regarding parental attitudes, 70.1% believed that the first dental visit should be delayed until a problem arose, while 67.7% believed deciduous teeth deserved equal care as permanent teeth. Moreover, 90.6% of parents sought help from a pediatric dentist. Education and income significantly influenced parental awareness and attitudes on multiple parameters (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009&lt;\u20090.05). Multivariable logistic regression (adjusted for both education and income simultaneously) revealed that higher education was the strongest independent predictor of fluoride awareness (adjusted OR\u2009=\u20093.46, 95% CI: 2.18\u20135.50,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009&lt;\u20090.001), while neither education nor income independently predicted appropriate first dental visit timing (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009&gt;\u20090.05 for both).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n Parental awareness regarding basic oral hygiene practices was comparatively high; however, knowledge regarding fluoride, preventive measures, and the significance of primary dentition was relatively low. Socioeconomic status is a crucial independent determinant of parental awareness and attitude. The universal attitude of delayed first dental visits warrants population-wide health education campaigns.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2026.1876757","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T18:46:09Z","timestamp":1782845169000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Awareness and attitudes of parents towards pediatric dentistry and children's oral health: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Ajay H. T.","family":"Rao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University)","place":["Mangalore, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khushi D.","family":"Shetty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University)","place":["Mangalore, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sundeep K.","family":"Hegde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University)","place":["Mangalore, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sharan S.","family":"Sargod","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya (Deemed to 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