Parents' Awareness and Oral Health Care Measures of Pediatric Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the parents' awareness and practices towards oral health care of children receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Data was collected through a questionnaire-based survey at King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital (KASCH), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions regarding the oral hygiene practices and whether any other oral hygiene measures are used and distributed to the parents of a pediatric patient receiving chemotherapy. Absolute and percentage frequencies were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of seventy-seven parents of pediatric Hematology-Oncology patients on chemotherapy completed the questionnaire. About 39% of the parents brush their child's teeth once per day. The majority of the patients had not taken to the dentist before (75.3%). Regarding the dental complications during chemotherapy, more than half of the patients complained of tooth pain. Most of the parents (70%) received preventive dental advice during chemotherapy. For the mouth wash, 81.8% of the parents use mouthwash for their child. The majority of the parents (93.5%) are interested in the dental care of their children. Conclusion: The availability of basic oral care protocol, which includes preventive, supportive measures, and management of oral complications will increase the quality of care provided to those medically comprised patients. Also, the need for educational programs for both the patients and the guardian to increase the knowledge and awareness of the importance of oral care and daily oral hygiene practices during or after the completion of the treatment.