The relationship between parental attitudes towards health and child development has been a topic of interest for many years; however, research results in this field are still inconsistent. This study aimed to develop a structural equation model of the Parental Attitudes toward Child Oral Health (PACOH) scale, using this model to analyse the relationship between parental attitudes with demographic variables and the oral health-related behaviour of parents and children. A total of 302 parents (87% mothers) answered questions regarding their own and their children’s, aged 4–7 years, oral health-related actions and completed the 38-item PACOH scale. The structural equation model indicated that parental attitudes captured by the PACOH scale can be fitted to a second-order factorial model, even with the scale shortened to 21 items. The model demonstrated good fit characteristics (CFI = 0.925; IFI = 0.927; GFI = 0.915; RMSEA = 0.049), making it a reliable tool for examining the structure of parental attitudes. This model was employed in the multi-group analysis, revealing the close relationship between positive parents’ attitudes towards their child’s oral health and oral health-promoting behaviour both in parents and children, such as regular tooth brushing (p < 0.001), visiting the dentist (p = 0.027), and parents helping their child brush his/her teeth (p < 0.001). In light of these findings, it was concluded that Parental Attitudes towards Child Oral Health should be considered an essential factor influencing the development of oral health-promoting behaviour in children.

Background and Objectives: Dental caries has seen an increase in untreated cases, leading to significant health and quality-of-life impacts, necessitating innovative approaches like the promising non-operative management with silver diamine fluoride. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms of action of silver diamine fluoride on arresting dental caries in primary teeth. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, and Wiley Online Library, including both in vivo and in vitro studies published from 1 January 2017 to 16 October 2022. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool assessed bias in in vivo studies, while the Quality Assessment Tool for In Vitro Studies evaluated the methodological quality of in vitro studies. Results: Nineteen publications met the inclusion criteria. Two studies indicated that silver diamine fluoride application significantly alters oral microflora, contributing to caries arrest. Additionally, two studies reported increased mineral density and mineral content in demineralised primary teeth, emphasising silver diamine fluoride’s role in promoting remineralisation. Three studies demonstrated significant improvements in surface microhardness, enhancing tooth resistance. However, no significant qualitative changes in bacterial species composition were noted. Modified silver diamine fluoride application techniques, including light curing or laser irradiation, enhanced efficacy, with light curing notably increasing surface microhardness. Based on a limited number of studies, no statistically significant differences in clinical effectiveness were observed with higher silver diamine fluoride concentrations or extended application durations. Conclusions: Silver diamine fluoride effectively induces quantitative changes in oral microflora and enhances the microhardness and mineral density of enamel and dentine in primary teeth, with modified application methods showing potential for improved outcomes.

Background/Objectives: Parental attitudes play a crucial role in shaping children’s oral health habits and preventing dental diseases. This study aimed to explore the theoretical pathways through which parental behavior and attitudes toward child oral health can influence the dental caries experience as measured by the dmf-t index in preschool children in Lithuania. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 302 children aged 4–7 years and their parents (262 mothers). Parental attitudes were assessed using the Parental Attitudes Towards Child Oral Health (PACOH) scale. For the children, the following variables were considered: sex, age, dental caries experience (dmf-t index in the primary dentition), oral hygiene index (Silness–Löe Plaque Index), toothbrushing frequency, and parental assistance with toothbrushing. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied for the data analysis. Results: The main path through which parental attitudes towards child oral health influenced the dmf-t index was via toothbrushing frequency (β = −0.17) or parental assistance with toothbrushing (β = 0.24). These factors were then linked to the oral hygiene index (β = 0.20 and β = −0.47, respectively), which ultimately influenced dmf-t (β = 0.52). The parents’ attitudes and toothbrushing frequency per se had no significant effect on children’s dmf-t (β = −0.06 and β = −0.04, respectively). The final model met all goodness-of-fit criteria: Chi-square test p = 0.211, Incremental Fit Index IFI = 0.994, Tucker–Lewis Index TLI = 0.982, Comparative Fit Index CFI = 0.994, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation RMSEA = 0.038. Conclusions: Findings from this study demonstrate that parents play a significant role in determining children’s oral health. Regular toothbrushing, parental assistance with toothbrushing, and good oral hygiene are critical factors linking parents’ oral health-related attitudes to a child’s experience of early caries. Identifying the associations between dental caries risk factors helps plan interventions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate oral health status, behavioral risk indicators, and the impact of smoking on oral health among Lithuanian adolescents. This representative cross-sectional study was conducted among 15-year-old Lithuanian adolescents. The method of multistage cluster sampling was used. A total of 1127 adolescents met the inclusion criteria. Two originally created self-reported questionnaires were used in this study. Dental caries, periodontal status, and oral hygiene status were evaluated by four trained researchers. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was set to indicate statistically significant differences. Statistical analysis included Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests. Out of all the participants, 9.6% self-reported being a current tobacco smoker. The mean PI value was 1.14 ± 0.69 among all the participants. Currently smoking adolescents had more active caries lesions (D-S) than those who did not smoke (13.2 ± 16.4 vs. 9.8 ± 10.7, p = 0.023). Considering periodontal status, non-smoking adolescents had significantly lower mean PSR index scores than current smokers (0.52 ± 0.51 vs. 0.61 ± 0.50, p = 0.0298). Tobacco smoking and the consumption of energy drinks were significantly associated (OR = 3.74, 95% CI 2.66–5.26, p < 0.001) among participants. Currently smoking adolescents tended to have improper dietary habits, especially a higher consumption of energy drinks; thus, they were more likely to have active dental caries lesions, as well as poorer periodontal status, than their non-smoking peers.

Background and objectives: The role of parents and the family in promoting children’s oral health is increasingly acknowledged in the dental literature. This study aimed to investigate twelve-year changes in pre-schoolers’ oral health and parental involvement in children’s dental care using data from two repeated cross-sectional surveys. The objectives were (1) to assess the temporal changes in children’s dental health status and oral health-related behaviours, (2) to examine temporal changes in parental attitudes toward their children’s oral health care, and (3) to analyze the associations between observed changes. Materials and methods: Two identical cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2010/2011 (n = 294) and 2023 (n = 304). In both surveys, parents answered questions regarding their children’s oral health care and completed the 38-item ‘Parental Attitudes toward Children’s Oral Health’ (PACOH) scale, while the dental health of their 3–7-year-old children was clinically assessed. Changes in the examined characteristics were analyzed using general linear models. Results: Significant positive changes (p < 0.001) were observed when comparing the surveys: the dmf-t (decayed, missing, filled teeth) score for deciduous teeth decreased from 5.56 to 3.31; the Silness–Löe Plaque Index decreased from 1.45 to 1.15; the percentage of children brushing their teeth regularly increased from 33.0% to 55.3%; the percentage of parents assisting their child with tooth brushing increased from 19.2% to 85.1%; and regular visits to a children’s dentist increased from 36.4% to 85.1%. Moreover, the study revealed better parental attitudes toward their children’s oral health care, as reflected by a change in the total score of the PACOH scale from 112 to 122. Conclusions: It was concluded that changes in parental attitudes played a crucial role in driving positive trends in oral health-related behaviours, which likely contributed to the improvement of dental health in children. Therefore, understanding and influencing parental attitudes can be essential for promoting good oral health skills and good oral health in young children.

Background/Objectives: Dentists, due to their close contact with patients, are in a unique position to recognize and report cases of child abuse and neglect. This study aimed to explore dentists’ knowledge and attitudes toward child abuse and neglect encountered in their professional practice. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among 414 members of the Lithuanian Dental Chamber (general dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants) and 153 graduating dental students, yielding a total sample of 567 respondents. They reported knowledge and attitudes regarding reasons for child abuse within the family and barriers to referring suspected cases. The underlying structure of responses was examined using exploratory factor analysis, and differences in knowledge and attitudes across professional groups were tested using ANOVA. Results: Most respondents agreed that low family socioeconomic status (87.7%), child’s disability (65.3%), and medical conditions (53.2%) are the main reasons for child abuse. These and other reasons clustered into two factors: family social vulnerability, and child health-related vulnerability; however, professional specialization had only a very small effect on both factors (η² = 0.013 and η² = 0.017, respectively). The majority of respondents (75.6%) agreed that dentists should report cases of child abuse or violence against children in all circumstances. The barriers to reporting child abuse were fear of negative consequences, and professional uncertainty; professional specialization had a significant effect on both of these factors (η² = 0.019, p = 0.027 and η² = 0.037, p < 0.001, respectively). Dental specialists reported the highest levels of fear of negative consequences and professional uncertainty, whereas students reported the fewest difficulties in reporting. Dental specialists and students demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge, while dental hygienists demonstrated the lowest level of knowledge regarding child abuse (mean sum score of knowledge was 11.2 (SE 0.38) vs. 10.0 (SE 0.30), respectively, p = 0.014). Conclusions: Overall, Lithuanian dentists, including students, demonstrate moderate knowledge and attitude in recognizing cases of child abuse and neglect; however, differences across professional groups remain and should be addressed to ensure more effective child protection.