Table 2: Responses to the questions by parents

Question		Options		Responses in numbers (n)		Percentage
Q1		What are milk teeth/primary teeth/deciduous teeth?
		Teeth which are present in the children drinking milk		234		26
		Present in all children		144		16
		First set of teeth which will be replaced by permanent teeth		468		52
		None of these		54		6
Q2		How many milk teeth/primary teeth are present totally?
		All front teeth		189		21
		All teeth in the mouth of 4-year-old children		459		51
		Don’t know		180		20
		All upper teeth		72		8
Q4		How many teeth in the mouth of 3-year-old are primary?
		50%		225		25
		25%		234		26
		None		90		10
		All		351		39
Q7		Total no. of primary teeth present
		8		180		20
		12		162		18
		18		135		15
		20		270		30
		4		153		17
Q3		Do you think all primary teeth will shed?
		Yes		549		61
		No		153		17
		Only front teeth		189		21
		Only back teeth		9		1
Q5		By what age do you think all primary teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth?
		4 years		108		12
		6 years		189		21
		12 years		477		53
		18 years		126		14
Q6		Do you think all the permanent teeth erupt by replacing their respective milk tooth?
		Yes		423		47
		No		153		17
		Some of them		324		36
Q8		Primary teeth help in:
		Chewing		225		25
		Appearance of child		54		6
		Speech		18		2
		Maintains the space for permanent teeth/guides the eruption of permanent teeth		63		7
		I and ii		45		5
		i, ii and iii		126		14
		i, ii and iv		18		2
		All of the above		351		39
Q9		Do you think it is important to treat a decayed milk tooth?
		Yes		774		86
		No		826		14
Q10		If a primary tooth is infected
		It is important to save infected primary teeth if possible		684		76
		It is unnecessary, since anyway tooth is going to fall		216		24
Q11		If an infected primary teeth in your child’s mouth require extensive treatment probably requiring a few visits to the dental office and some expenditure
		You will agree for treatment		540		60
		You will not agree for treatment		360		40
Q11		Reasons
		Time		105		29
		Economically difficult/expenditure		104		29
		Unnecessary to spend time and money for a tooth which is anyway going to shed		151		41
Q12		If an infected primary tooth require extraction which is the only possible treatment option
		You will agree for extraction		666		74
		You will not agree for extraction		234		26
Q12		Reasons
		Eyes will get affected		63		27
		Brain will get affected		28		12
		As the tooth will shed there is no need for extraction		63		27
		Will cause pain/trauma in child		52		23
		Expenditure		28		12