Table 5.
Domains and categories of reasons for topical fluoride hesitancy or refusal between caregivers of children with SHCN and caregivers of healthy children
| Domains and categories | Caregivers of children with SHCN | Caregivers of healthy children |
|---|---|---|
| (N = 12) | (N = 44) | |
| Domain 1: Thinking Topical Fluoride Is Unnecessary | 12 (100%) | 39 (89%) |
| Thinking my child’s teeth are fine without it | 3 (25%) | 13 (30%) |
| Thinking it is not effective | 9 (75%) | 26 (59%) |
| Keeping your teeth clean is enough | 5 (42%) | 26 (59%) |
| Having a healthy diet is more important | 3 (25%) | 22 (50%) |
| Getting fluoride from other sources is enough | 4 (33%) | 10 (23%) |
| Domain 2: Wanting To Keep Chemicals Like Fluoride Out Of My Child’s Body | 12 (100%) | 36 (82%) |
| Being careful about what goes into my child’s body | 4 (33%) | 18 (41%) |
| Worrying about my child ingesting it | 5 (42%) | 25 (57%) |
| Not wanting my child to have too much fluoride | 8 (67%) | 18 (41%) |
| Domain 3: Thinking Fluoride Is Harmful | 11 (92%) | 39 (89%) |
| Believing it is dangerous for my child’s health | 3 (25%) | 36 (82%) |
| Believing it will damage the body | 8 (66%) | 20 (45%) |
| Fearing it will affect my child’s developing mind | 7 (58%) | 11 (25%) |
| Worrying it will upset my child | 6 (50%) | 3 (7%) |
| Domain 4: Thinking There Is Too Much Uncertainty With Fluoride | 9 (75%) | 31 (70%) |
| Hearing negative things about it | 7 (58%) | 11 (25%) |
| Feeling like I don’t know enough | 0 (0%) | 16 (36%) |
| Worrying that there are unknown long term effects | 2 (17%) | 16 (36%) |
| Erring on the side of the caution | 4 (33%) | 10 (23%) |
| Domain 5: Feeling Pressured To Get Fluoride | 7 (58%) | 27 (61%) |
| Getting it pushed on me | 3 (25%) | 8 (18%) |
| Not telling me the whole truth about it | 7 (58%) | 13 (30%) |
| Feeling like there is an agenda to push fluoride | 2 (17%) | 18 (41%) |
| Domain 6: Feeling Fluoride Should Be A Choice | 6 (50%) | 20 (45%) |
| Considering my child’s opinion about it | 1 (8%) | 8 (18%) |
| Having the right to decide what is best for my child | 6 (50%) | 20 (45%) |