TABLE 3.
Knowledge of early childhood caries and confidence in carrying out oral health-related activities among paediatricians and family physicians in Canada
| Knowledge questionnaire item | Response | Paediatricians (%) | Family physicians (%) | P† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only bottle-fed babies are affected by early childhood tooth decay | Strongly disagree/disagree | 80.3 | 72.8 | |
| Not sure | 6.3 | 16.3 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 13.5 | 10.9 | ||
| Untreated dental decay could affect the general health of the child | Strongly disagree/disagree | 4.0 | 1.0 | |
| Not sure | 2.2 | 3.1 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 93.8 | 95.9 | ||
| Bacteria that cause decay can spread from mother to child | Strongly disagree/disagree | 23.7 | 18.1 | |
| Not sure | 52.7 | 57.0 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 23.7 | 24.9 | ||
| Fluoride toothpaste should not be given to children younger than three years | Strongly disagree/disagree | 52.7 | 48.1 | |
| Not sure | 10.3 | 28.2 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 37.1 | 23.7 | ||
| First signs of tooth decay are white lines or spots on the tooth surfaces | Strongly disagree/disagree | 30.4 | 18.1 | |
| Not sure | 46.1 | 61.8 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 23.5 | 20.1 | ||
| Baby teeth are important even though they fall out | Strongly disagree/disagree | 1.8 | 0.7 | |
| Not sure | 0.4 | 1.7 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 97.8 | 97.6 | ||
| Overall knowledge score*, mean (SD) (range 0 to 12) | 8.24 (1.7) | 8.35 (1.4) | 0.441 | |
|
Confidence questionnaire item | ||||
| I feel confident enough to identify dental caries in children | Strongly disagree/disagree | 21.3 | 36.5 | |
| Not sure | 21.8 | 27.6 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 56.9 | 35.8 | ||
| I feel knowledgeable enough to discuss and counsel parents regarding home dental care for their children | Strongly disagree/disagree | 14.2 | 27.3 | |
| Not sure | 9.3 | 20.8 | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 76.4 | 51.9 | ||
*
Each response coded as 0 = incorrect response, 1 = not sure and 2 = correct response;
†
Student’s t test