PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRESENCE OF THE FIRST PERMANENT MOLAR AND ITS EFFECT ON HEALTH OF THE TOOTH IN 7-8 YEARS-OLD CHILDREN (2006)

Introduction: The first permanent molars erupt very slowly in distal surface of primary second molar, without any side effects, therefore in most cases children and parents are not aware of their eruption. However these teeth are predisposed to caries and need close sanitary care and parental notice. Parent's awareness about existence of first molar as a permanent tooth in children's mouth could lead the health preservation of this tooth. The main objective of this study was to consider the rate of awareness of parents about the presence of first pemanent molars and its effect on health of the this tooth. Materials & Methods: This cross sectional research has been done on 844 elementary school students and their parents. Sampling was done randomaly. Then questionnaires were filled out by the parents and then tooth condition was registered in a visit form for each student separately. Next, the related children's DMFT was determinated and recorded. For statistical analysis we used Student t-test, Chi-square and Fisher exact tests (P-value<0.05). Results: 1- In this research only 201 parents (34.7%) knew about the first permanent molar eruption in their child's mouth. 2- The average of restoration of first molar in students whom their parents were aware of presence of these teeth was 0.11 and in other students was 0.03. 3- Among 844 7-8- years- old students, only 474 cases (55.6%) had a history of visiting the dentist. Conclusion: According to the results of this study only 13.4% of parents knew about existence of first pemanent molar in the mouth of their children. The average of molars restoration in students whom their parents knew about it, was three time more than others. Key words: Parent's awareness, eruption, first permanent molar, 7-8 years old children.