The type of parenting style influences the way children cope with problems and can create states of anxiety that can even alter their eating habits, which can cause problems in their oral health. The present study aimed to find out which parenting style is more favorable for the oral health of their children. In this cross-sectional study, 186 children (aged 8–15 years) were examined to assess the mean Decayed/Missing/Filled teeth (DMFT + dmft) index, and they were asked to complete the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Parenting Style Scale, and questions about their oral hygiene habits. On the other hand, their parents answered the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire and the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Results showed that a worse oral health status was associated with a higher state of anxiety, more overeating, more emotional eating, and higher psychological control. A higher rate of missing teeth was associated with increased undereating and overeating. Emotional eating was positively related to psychological control. State of anxiety, overeating, and parental psychological control predicted 24.6% of DMFT + dmft. In addition, emotional eating had a moderating effect in DMFT + dfmt only in those with low levels of affection and communication. In conclusion, high psychological control and low levels of parental affection and communication will increase the state of anxiety in children, influencing their caries rate.

Dental caries are a public health problem that is influenced by dietary habits. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the feeding and hygiene habits that divorced parents exercise over their children compared to non-divorced parents, and how this may influence the rate of caries in their children. The data of participants (n = 174) with an average age of 12.17 ± 2.04 years were examined to assess the mean decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMFT) index, and they were asked questions about their oral hygiene habits. At the same time, their parents answered the parental feeding style questionnaire. A moderation analysis was conducted with family control of oral hygiene habit levels as an independent variable, decayed teeth as a dependent variable, and feeding control as a moderating variable. Results showed that divorced parents were found to have more problems in controlling their children’s hygiene and dietary habits, have less control over their children’s feeding, and make more use of instrumental feeding, which led to children of divorced parents having more caries. Despite the limitations linked to the cross-sectional design of the study and considering both the convenience sample and the impossibility of controlling for all aetiological factors linked to the development of caries, it can be concluded that children of divorced parents have an increased risk of tooth decay. However, parental controlled feeding interferes with the effect of family controlled oral hygiene habits on the decayed tooth, decreasing the rate of caries.

Background: It can be affirmed that the parenting style of parents has an impact on the health-related behaviors of their children; the environment that parents create for their children can have an impact on both their habits and their oral health, and on the incidence of dental caries in children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between parenting style and childhood dental caries. Methods: Two researchers independently searched the English literature published up to May 2024 in four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus y Cochrane Library). The risk of bias was evaluated using the Modified Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). This study is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024573447). Results: Of the 130 studies identified, nine of them, with a total of 4250 participants, met our inclusion criteria. The evidence on the relationship between parenting styles and dental caries is varied. Of the studies reviewed, three showed a significant association between both factors, while four found no correlation, and two reported no significant differences in relation to parenting styles and the occurrence of dental caries. Conclusions: This discrepancy emphasizes the need for further research. Parenting styles impact child dental behavior on a global level, highlighting the relevance of recognizing these approaches in a dental context, given that parents have a fundamental role in guiding their children’s behaviors.

Mothers practice co-sleeping and breastfeeding simultaneously, for convenience and to strengthen bonding. Due to the scarcity of studies analyzing the impact of co-sleeping on primary dentition, this study aimed to analyze the possible effects of co-sleeping on children’s occlusion. In this cross-sectional study, mothers of 221 children aged 2–5 years who had been breastfed for less than 6 months completed a questionnaire about non-nutritive sucking habits. The WHO (World Health Organization) and IOTN-AC indices (the Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need) were used to assess malocclusion. The type of sagittal (dental and skeletal), transverse and vertical malocclusion was recorded. The non-co-sleeping group showed significantly higher pacifier use (p < 0.05), digital sucking (p < 0.05) and atypical swallowing (p < 0.05) habits. The non-co-sleeping group showed significantly higher mean scores on the IOTN-AC (p < 0.05) and WHO (p < 0.01), a significantly higher presence of canine class II (p < 0.05), anterior open bite (p < 0.05), posterior crossbite (p < 0.05), overbite (p < 0.05), skeletal class II (p < 0.01) and protrusion (p < 0.05). In conclusion, children who practice co-sleeping appear to have a lower frequency and duration of non-nutritive sucking habits. Co-sleeping may contribute to a lower development of malocclusions in children who are weaned early (before six months of age).