Impact of Early Childhood Caries and Parental Oral Health Literacy on the Use of Oral Health Care Services by Children. Caries, Health Literacy and Health Care

˚ ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to verify the impact of early childhood caries (ECC) and parental oral health literacy (OHL) on the use of oral health care services by preschool children. A population-based study was conducted with 449 dyads of preschool children aged 4-6 years and their parents/caregivers in the city of Ribeir(cid:139)o das Neves, Brazil. Two examiners performed the diagnosis of ECC using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-Epi). The Brazilian version of the Hong Kong Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Pediatric Dentistry was administered to measure parents(cid:213) OHL. Parents/caregivers answered the question (cid:210)When was your child(cid:213)s last visit to the dentist?(cid:211) to measure the use of oral health care services by the preschool children. The multiple logistic regression (p<0.05) revealed that children with presence of cavitated caries lesions were 1.82-fold more likely to use oral health care services (OR=1.82; 95%CI: 1.23-2.70) compared to those with absence of cavitated caries lesions. Children whose parents/caregivers had lower OHL were 34 % less likely to use oral health care services compared to those whose parents had higher OHL (OR=0.66; 95%CI: 0.45-0.99). Preschool children Dental services are used more by preschool children with presence of cavitated caries lesions and whose parents/caregivers have higher scores of OHL.