Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Parental Awareness and Dental Attendance of Children Among African Immigrants

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To assess parental awareness of their child’s dental status and the relationship between parental awareness and children’s dental attendance. Participants were children aged 6 years or younger and their African parents who had lived in Canada for up to 10 years. Demographics and parents’ perceived dental status were collected. Children’s normative dental status was determined by dental examinations. 125 pairs of parents and children aged 21–72 months were included. 52 % of the children never had a dental visit. Dental status of 44 % of children was rated as good by parents, among them, 56 % had dental decay. Parental assessments did not coincide with the clinical assessments of 62 % of children. No correlation was found between parental awareness and children’s dental attendance. Children of African immigrants are at high risk for developing severe dental decay because of low parental awareness and lack of regular dental visits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Guideline on periodicity of examination, preventive dental services, anticipatory guidance/counseling, and oral treatment for infants, children, and adolescents [Internet]. Chicago (IL): American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2013. Available from: http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_Periodicity.pdf. Accessed July 15, 2013.

  2. Kagihara LE, Niederhauser VP, Stark M. Assessment, management, and prevention of early childhood caries. J Am Acad Nurse Prac. 2009;21(1):1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Locker D, Clarke M, Murray H. Oral health status of Canadian-born and immigrant adolescents in North York. Ont. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1998;26(3):177–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Werneck RI, Lawrence HP, Kulkarni GV, Locker D. Early childhood caries and access to dental care among children of Portuguese-speaking immigrants in the City of Toronto. J Can Dent Assoc. 2008;74(9):805.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Newbold K, Patel A. Use of dental services by immigrant Canadians. J Can Dent Assoc. 2006;72(2):143.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Vargas CM, Ronzio CR. Disparities in early childhood caries. BMC Oral Health. 2006;6(Suppl. 1):S3.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Heft MW, Gilbert GH, Shelton BJ, Uncan RP. Relationship of dental status, sociodemographic status, and oral symptoms to perceived need for dental care. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2003;31(5):351–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. McCunniff MD, Damiano PC, Kanellis MJ, Levy SM. The impact of WIC dental screening and referrals on utilization of dental services among low-income children. Pediatr Dent. 1998;20(3):181–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Talekar BS, Rozier RG, Slade GD, Ennett ST. Parental perceptions of their preschool-aged children’s oral health. J Am Dent Assoc. 2005;136(3):364–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sohn W, Taichman LS, Ismail AI, Reisine S. Scientific article: caregiver’s perception of child’s oral health status among low-income African Americans. Pediatr Dent. 2008;30(6):480–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Horton S, Barker JC. Rural Mexican immigrant parents’ interpretation of children’s dental symptoms and decisions to seek treatment. Community Dent Health. 2009;26(4):216–21.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Weyant RJ, Manz M, Corby P, Rustveld L, Close J. Factors associated with parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of oral health and need for dental treatment. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2007;35(5):321–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Goodman HS, Macek MD, Wagner ML, Manz MC, Marrazzo ID. Self-reported awareness of unrestored dental caries: survey of the oral health status of Maryland schoolchildren, 2000–2001. Pediatr Dent. 2004;26(4):369–75.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Cioffi D. Beyond attentional strategies: a cognitive-perceptual model of somatic interpretation. Psychol Bull. 1991;109(1):25–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Statistics Canada. Census profile. 2011 Census of Canada {Internet}. Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 2013 Jan 16. Available from: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/index-eng.cfm. Accessed July 15, 2013.

  16. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Immigration overview: permanent and temporary residents {Internet}. Ottawa: Citizenship and Immigration Canada; 2011 Aug 30. Available from: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/facts2010/permanent/08.asp. Accessed July 15, 2013.

  17. Statistics Canada. The African Community in Canada {Internet}. Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 2007 August 16. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-621-x/89-621-x2007010-eng.htm#1. Accessed July 15, 2013.

  18. Flores G, Lin H. Trends in racial/ethnic disparities in medical and oral health, access to care, and use of services in US children: has anything changed over the years? Int J Equity Health. 2013;12:10.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. World Health Organization. Oral Health Surveys. Basic Methods. 4th ed. Geneva: WHO; 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Vargas CM, Ronzio CR. Relationship between children’s dental needs and dental care utilization: United States, 1988–1994. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(11):1816–21.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Edelstein BL. Disparities in oral health and access to care: findings of national surveys. Ambul Pediatr. 2002;2(2 Suppl.):141–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Mouradian WE, Wehr E, Crall JJ. Disparities in children’s oral health and access to dental care. JAMA. 2000;284(20):2625–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Millar WJ, Locker D. Dental insurance and use of dental services. Health Rep. 1999;11(1):55–67.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Birch S, Anderson R. Financing and delivering oral health care: what can we learn from other countries? J Can Dent Assoc. 2005;71(4):243.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Vargas CM, 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.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Vered Y, Sgan-Cohen HD. Self-perceived and clinically diagnosed dental and periodontal health status among young adults and their implications for epidemiological surveys. BMC Oral Health. 2003;3:3.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Fisher MA, Mascarenhas AK. Does Medicaid improve utilization of medical and dental services and health outcomes for medicaid-eligible children in the United States? Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2007;35(4):263–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Amin M, Perez A. Is the wait-for-patient-to-come approach suitable for African newcomers to Alberta, Canada? Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2012;40(6):523–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Amin MS, Harrison RL. Understanding parents’ oral health behaviors for their young children. Qual Health Res. 2009;19:116–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Lewis C, Mouradian W, Slayton R, Williams A. Dental insurance and its impact on preventive dental care visits for U.S. children. J Am Dent Assoc. 2007;138:369–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Multicultural Health Brokers Coop for their collaboration as well as the Prairie Metropolis Centre, Women and Children Health Research Institute (WCHRI), and Alberta Human Services for funding this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alberta, 5-513 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada

    Maryam S. Amin

  2. Division of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Pediatric Center for Weight and Health, Edmonton General Continuing Care Center, 11111 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB, T5K 0L4, Canada

    Arnaldo Perez

  3. Division of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alberta, 5-095B Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada

    Pawan Nyachhyon

Authors
  1. Maryam S. Amin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arnaldo Perez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pawan Nyachhyon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryam S. Amin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amin, M.S., Perez, A. & Nyachhyon, P. Parental Awareness and Dental Attendance of Children Among African Immigrants. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 132–138 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9912-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9912-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation