Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between both parental dental fear and children’s dental fear and its impact on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of Saudi children in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Data on 93 individuals aged 7–12 years were collected using clinical examination and Arabic-validated questionnaires: the Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form (COHIP-SF19), and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule—Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to study the association between children’s fear and parental dental fear as well as the OHRQoL, while adjusting for certain confounders. Results: Overall, our multivariate analyses showed that children with high dental fear (CFSS-DS ≥ 38, p = 0.027) and a higher percentage of dental caries (p = 0.013) had a significantly lower OHRQoL after adjusting for clinical and socio-demographic factors. Further, parental fear of dentists was significantly associated with children’s fear of dentists (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that children’s fear and dental caries are both associated with poorer OHRQoL. Further, parental dental fear about dentists was associated with children’s fear of dentists.

Background/Objectives: Chlorhexidine (CHX) and alcoholic (A+) mouthwashes are associated with adverse oral effects. Therefore, this study compared the efficacies of non-alcoholic mouthwashes, including fluoride (A−) and herbal (Hr) rinses, for preventing bacterial accumulation and enamel demineralization around metal brackets (MBs), ceramic brackets (CBs), and resin composite attachments (RCAs). Methods: Following the exposure to CHX, A+, A−, and Hr rinses for 1 min, the growth of Streptococcus mutans on MB, CB, and RCA was assessed using colony-forming units and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Controls included attachments without intervention. In another setting, enamel with bonded attachments was exposed to mouthwashes for 1 min and subjected to cariogenic demineralization for 24 h. Enamel’s Vickers microhardness was measured before and after the demineralization challenge. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and one-/two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s tests. Results: CHX mouthwash demonstrated superior antimicrobial efficacy against S. mutans biofilms across all orthodontic attachments (p < 0.05). On metallic brackets, CHX (0 ± 0 log₁₀) and A− (1.7 ± 0.4 log₁₀) significantly (p < 0.001) outperformed controls (6.9 ± 0.1 log₁₀), Hr (6.08 ± 0.2 log₁₀), and A+ (6.2 ± 0.6 log₁₀). Similar patterns emerged for ceramic brackets, with CHX (0 ± 0 log10) and A− (1.4 ± 0 log10) superior to controls (6.6 ± 0.4 log₁₀). On resin composite attachments, CHX (2.9 ± 0.05 log₁₀) and Hr (3.4 ± 0.08 log₁₀) exceeded controls (5.4 ± 0.09 log₁₀) in inhibiting the biofilm growth (p < 0.05). Enamel microhardness reduction was significantly influenced by attachment type (p < 0.0001) and mouthwash type (p = 0.0063), with significant interaction between variables (p = 0.0052). Conclusions: CHX and A− mouthwashes effectively inhibited S. mutans biofilms on orthodontic attachments, while attachment type and mouthwash significantly influenced enamel microhardness reduction.