Table 2.

Practice toward oral hygiene by parents or guardians of children

	< 6 Years	6–12 Years	Total
Eating Habits
1 meal	0	6(5.2)	6(1.6)
2 meals	5 (1.9)	76(65.5)	81(21.7)
3 meals	254(98.1)	33(28.7)	287(76.7)
Snacks between meals	259(69.3)	115(30.7)	374(100)
Do you brush your child’s teeth?
Yes	173(66.8)	115(100)	288(77)
No	86(33.2)	0	86(23)
How do you clean your child’s teeth?
Toothbrush and toothpaste	171(98.8)	115(100)	286 (99.3)
Baby finger toothbrush	2(1.2)	0	2 (0.7)
How often you clean your child’s teeth?
Once daily	19(11.0)	11(9.6)	30(10.4)
Twice daily	0	15(13.0)	15(5.2)
More than twice daily	0	3(2.6)	3(1.0)
Occasionally	154(89.0)	86(74.8)	240(83.3)
How do you brush your child’s teeth?
Use horizontal strokes	46(26.5)	15(13)	61(21.2)
Use vertical strokes	29(16.8)	12(10.4)	41(14.2)
Both in horizontal and vertical directions	97(56.1)	86(74.8)	183(63.5)
Circular strokes	1(0.6)	2(1.7)	3(1.1)
How often you change your child’s brush?
Once in 3 months	47(27.2)	27(23.5)	74(25.7)
Once in 6 months	54(31.2)	31(27)	85(29.5)
Once every year	20(11.6)	14(12.2)	34(11.8)
When bristles get frayed up	28(16.2)	39(33.9)	67(23.3)
What amount of paste you apply on your child’s brush?
Full length of bristles	19(10.9)	37(32.2)	95(33)
Half-length of bristles	43(24.9)	28(24.3)	112(38.9)
Pea-sized amount	111(64.2)	50(43.5)	81(28.1)
Do you press the paste in between the bristles?
Yes	14(8.1)	31(27)	45(15.6)
No	159(91.9)	84(73)	243(84.4)
Do you ask your child to rinse their mouth after meals?
Yes	19(11)	10(8.6)	29(10.1)
No	149(86.1)	92((82)	241(83.6)
Sometimes	5(2.9)	13(11.2)	18(6.3)
Do you clean the tongue of your child?
Yes	93(53.8)	43(37.4)	136(47.2)
No	80(46.2)	72(62.6)	152(52.8)
How do you clean your child’s tongue
Tongue cleaner	0	0	0
Fingers	89(95.7)	5(11.6)	26(19.1)
Toothbrush	4(4.3)	38(88.4)	110(80.8)

Values mean n (%)