The relationship between overprotective parenting, toothbrushing practices and children's behaviour during dental treatments in 4 to 11-year-old Dutch children: a cross sectional study.

PURPOSE: Overprotective parenting and its impact on child development has gained increasing public attention. This study explored the association between overprotective parenting and behaviour during dental treatments and toothbrushing behaviour of 4 to 11-year-old-children. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, caregivers of 4-to-11-year-old children who visited a referral practice for dental treatment in Leiden, The Netherlands, completed a questionnaire about overprotective parenting, using the Parental Overprotection Measure (POM), and children's toothbrushing behaviour. The dentist and dental assistant used the Venham scale to assess children's behaviour during dental treatments. Associations between the POM and the Venham scale and toothbrushing variables, were analysed using multiple ordered logistic regression. RESULTS: The sample included 96 children (mean age: 7.3 ± 2.1 years, 59 boys). Overprotective parenting (higher POM scores) was significantly associated with more disruptive behaviour of children during dental treatments (higher Venham categories) (OR: 1.08 (95% CI 1.04; 1.13)) and lower caregiver self-efficacy regarding toothbrushing (OR 0.96 (95% CI 0.93; 0.99)), after adjustment for confounders. No associations between overprotective parenting and toothbrushing frequency or skipping toothbrushing were found. CONCLUSIONS: Overprotective parenting has been associated with children's negative behaviour during dental treatments and lower caregiver self-efficacy regarding toothbrushing in primary school children who are treated in a referral practice for paediatric dental care.

[Feasibility of the 'Uitblinkers' intervention to improve toothbrushing among children: a pilot study]. / Toepasbaarheid van de 'Uitblinkers-interventie' om tandenpoetsen bij kinderen te verbeteren: een pilotonderzoek.

In 2017, the 'Uitblinkers' intervention was developed to improve toothbrushing behaviour among young children. This interview method focuses on identifying parents' barriers to brushing their children's teeth, and promoting parenting strategies to tackle the identified barriers. Twenty-one trained dental therapists from twelve dental practices applied the 'Uitblinkers' intervention among parents of three-year-old children. Nine months after the training, focus group- and telephone interviews were conducted to evaluate the feasibility and appreciation of the intervention in dental practice. Findings of this study show that the 'Uitblinkers' intervention offers a feasible approach to improve children's toothbrushing behaviour. Dental therapists were generally positive about the interview method, the supporting materials and the reactions of parents. Some (logistic) barriers to adoption were identified which, if resolved, would improve the implementation of the intervention in dental practice.

[A PhD completed 7. Just add positivity? Dental caries, obesity and problem behaviour in children: the role of parents and family -relations]. / Hora est 7. Is positiviteit het geheime ingrediënt? Cariës, overgewicht en probleemgedrag bij kinderen: de rol van ouders en het gezin.

In this doctoral research project the relationship between, on the one hand, parenting and the functioning of families, and, on the other, child dental health were measured on the basis of interviews, questionnaires and observations of parent-child interaction. The groups studied consisted of children with and without caries and a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. The analyses revealed a distinct and significant difference between children with and children without caries with respect to parenting style and parent-child interaction. Positive parenting skills, such as positive involvement, positive reinforcement and problem-solving ability, correlate less often with children with caries. The study also revealed that children of parents with a parenting style that involved coercion and strict type of discipline, combined with the expression of little warmth, had a greater likelihood of developing caries. No relationship was found between an unhealthy high Body Mass Index (BMI) and the presence of dental caries. There was a significant relationship between behavioural problems and the presence of dental caries, which may be explained by an underlying influence of the family factors that were measured.

The relationship between parenting, family interaction and childhood dental caries: a case-control study.

The aim of this case-control study was to explore the relationship between parenting practices, parent-child interaction and childhood dental caries, using a sample of 5-8-year old children from the Netherlands. Cases were defined as children with four or more decayed, missing or filled teeth and controls were caries free. Cases (n = 28) and controls (n = 26) were recruited from a referral centre for paediatric dental care and a general dental practice, respectively. Parenting practices and parent-child interactions of the child's primary caregiver were observed using Structured Interaction Tasks and subsequently rated on seven dimensions: positive involvement, encouragement, problem-solving, discipline, monitoring, coercion and interpersonal atmosphere. All Structured Interaction Tasks were videotaped, and coded by trained and calibrated observers blind to the dental condition. Differences in parenting dimensions between cases and controls were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance, independent samples T-tests, χ(2)-tests and multiple logistic regression analyses. Controls had significantly higher scores on the dimensions positive involvement, encouragement, problem-solving and interpersonal atmosphere, compared to cases. Parents of controls were also less likely to show coercive behaviours. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for the mother's education level, tooth brushing frequency and the frequency of consuming sugary foods and drinks, except for coercion. There was no significant difference in discipline between cases and controls. In conclusion, this case-control study found a significant relationship between parenting practices, parent-child interaction quality and childhood dental caries. Our findings suggest that parenting practices may be an important factor to consider in caries preventive programs.