Taking the pain out of waiting: The oral health counselling experiences of parents of children with extensive dental caries

Abstract

Objective: The Tooth Smart Programme is a hospital-based parent-counselling programme established to stabilize existing carious lesions and prevent new caries in children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to: explore participating parents' experiences of and views about parent counselling; identify and describe factors that influence the uptake of oral health advice; and uncover any unanticipated outcomes of parent counselling. Methods: A purposively selected group of parents were invited to participate in, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed by qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Participants liked the programme sessions occurring in a hospital dental clinic. This approach was valued because it allowed a dental assessment to accompany the preventive advice. Most felt that they had been successful in increasing the frequency and quality of their child's tooth-brushing. Some reported that increased brushing reduced their child's dental pain. Conversely, most had found it hard to control their child's snacking on sugary foods and drinks. Conclusion: Future development of programmes should consider participants' expressed need for parent counselling to be provided in patient-centred sessions.