Behavioral Determinants of Brushing Young Children's Teeth: Implications for Anticipatory Guidance

Overview

Journal Pediatr Dent

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2010 Mar 20

PMID 20298653

Citations 34

Authors

Colleen E Huebner

Christine A Riedy

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify parents' motivation, support, and barriers to twice daily tooth-brushing of infants and preschool-age children and to discover new approaches to encourage this important health behavior.

Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 44 rural parents about tooth-brushing habits and experiences.

Results: Forty of 44 parents reported that they had begun to brush their child's teeth; 24 (55%) reported brushing twice a day or more. Parents who brushed twice a day, vs less often, were more likely to describe specific skills to overcome barriers; they expressed high self-efficacy and held high self-standards for brushing. Parents who brushed their children's teeth less than twice daily were more likely to: hold false beliefs about the benefits of twice daily tooth-brushing; report little normative pressure or social support for the behavior; have lower self-standards; describe more external constraints; and offer fewer ideas to overcome barriers.

Conclusions: The findings support an integrative framework in which barriers and support for parents' twice daily brushing of their young children's teeth are multiple and vary among individuals. Knowledge of behavioral determinants specific to individual parents could strengthen anticipatory guidance and recommendations about at-home oral hygiene of young children.

Citing Articles

Oral health disparities in early childhood and intergenerational gaps among noncitizen migrants, Arabs, and Jews in South Tel Aviv, Israel.

Brill J, Vinograd A, Hermesh B, Sheffer R, Mor Z Int J Equity Health. 2025; 24(1):20.

PMID: 39833944 PMC: 11749164. DOI: 10.1186/s12939-025-02383-9.

The Relationship Between Manual Dexterity and Toothbrushing Efficiency in Preschool Children: A Crossover Study.

Macote-Orosco L, Martin-Vacas A, Paz-Cortes M, Mourelle Martinez M, de Nova M Children (Basel). 2025; 11(12.

PMID: 39767927 PMC: 11674593. DOI: 10.3390/children11121498.

Dentist Mothers' Attitudes, Challenges and Facilitators in the Oral Health Promotion of Their Young Children.

Aksit-Bicak D Children (Basel). 2024; 11(1).

PMID: 38255372 PMC: 10813851. DOI: 10.3390/children11010059.

Evaluation of the Effect of Maternal Education on Toddler Dental Plaque Removal Based on a Health Belief Model.

Sarraf-Shirazi A, Saharkhiz P, Movahhed T, Charmeh A Front Dent. 2023; 20:38.

PMID: 38025307 PMC: 10679782. DOI: 10.18502/fid.v20i38.13878.

Efficacy of tooth brushing via a three-dimensional motion tracking system for dental plaque control in school children: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Jeong J, Kim K, Lee J, Kim K, Park W BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):626.

PMID: 36550451 PMC: 9773603. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02665-6.

References

Blinkhorn A, Wainwright-Stringer Y, Holloway P . Dental health knowledge and attitudes of regularly attending mothers of high-risk, pre-school children. Int Dent J. 2002; 51(6):435-8. DOI: 10.1002/j.1875-595x.2001.tb00856.x. View

Weinstein P, Harrison R, Benton T . Motivating parents to prevent caries in their young children: one-year findings. J Am Dent Assoc. 2004; 135(6):731-8. DOI: 10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0299. View

Honkala E, Nyyssonen V, Knuuttila M, Markkanen H . Effectiveness of children's habitual toothbrushing. J Clin Periodontol. 1986; 13(1):81-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1986.tb01418.x. View

Finlayson T, Siefert K, Ismail A, Sohn W . Maternal self-efficacy and 1-5-year-old children's brushing habits. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2007; 35(4):272-81. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.2007.00313.x. View

Nowak A, Casamassimo P . Using anticipatory guidance to provide early dental intervention. J Am Dent Assoc. 1995; 126(8):1156-63. DOI: 10.14219/jada.archive.1995.0337. View

Franzman M, Levy S, Warren J, Broffitt B . Tooth-brushing and dentifrice use among children ages 6 to 60 months. Pediatr Dent. 2004; 26(1):87-92. View

Davies G, Duxbury J, Boothman N, Davies R, Blinkhorn A . A staged intervention dental health promotion programme to reduce early childhood caries. Community Dent Health. 2005; 22(2):118-22. View

Blair Y, Macpherson L, McCall D, McMahon A . Dental health of 5-year-olds following community-based oral health promotion in Glasgow, UK. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2006; 16(6):388-98. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-263X.2006.00767.x. View

Fishbein M, Hennessy M, Yzer M, Douglas J . Can we explain why some people do and some people do not act on their intentions?. Psychol Health Med. 2011; 8(1):3-18. DOI: 10.1080/1354850021000059223. View

10.

Vargas C, Ronzio C, Hayes K . Oral health status of children and adolescents by rural residence, United States. J Rural Health. 2003; 19(3):260-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2003.tb00572.x. View

11.

Milgrom P, Weinstein P, Huebner C, Graves J, Tut O . Empowering Head Start to improve access to good oral health for children from low income families. Matern Child Health J. 2008; 15(7):876-82. PMC: 2914140. DOI: 10.1007/s10995-008-0316-6. View

12.

Pine C, Adair P, Nicoll A, Burnside G, Petersen P, Beighton D . International comparisons of health inequalities in childhood dental caries. Community Dent Health. 2004; 21(1 Suppl):121-30. View

13.

Bullen C, Rubenstein L, Saravia M, Mourino A . Improving children's oral hygiene through parental involvement. ASDC J Dent Child. 1988; 55(2):125-8. View

14.

Zeedyk M, Longbottom C, Pitts N . Tooth-brushing practices of parents and toddlers: a study of home-based videotaped sessions. Caries Res. 2004; 39(1):27-33. DOI: 10.1159/000081653. View

15.

Nyyssonen V, Honkala E . Oral hygiene status and habitual toothbrushing in children. ASDC J Dent Child. 1984; 51(4):285-8. View

16.

Adair P, Pine C, Burnside G, Nicoll A, Gillett A, Anwar S . Familial and cultural perceptions and beliefs of oral hygiene and dietary practices among ethnically and socio-economicall diverse groups. Community Dent Health. 2004; 21(1 Suppl):102-11. View

17.

Vargas C, Monajemy N, Khurana P, Tinanoff N . Oral health status of preschool children attending Head Start in Maryland, 2000. Pediatr Dent. 2002; 24(3):257-63. View

18.

Hale K . Oral health risk assessment timing and establishment of the dental home. Pediatrics. 2003; 111(5 Pt 1):1113-6. DOI: 10.1542/peds.111.5.1113. View

19.

Mattila M, Paunio P, Rautava P, Ojanlatva A, Sillanpaa M . Changes in dental health and dental health habits from 3 to 5 years of age. J Public Health Dent. 1999; 58(4):270-4. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1998.tb03008.x. View

20.

Seow W, Cheng E, Wan V . Effects of oral health education and tooth-brushing on mutans streptococci infection in young children. Pediatr Dent. 2003; 25(3):223-8. View