Özet:

Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the important health problem in many countries. Therefore, the protection of the oral and dental health is an issue that should be addressed as a priority since the childhood. Like many other habits, the model of the mother and the father have important roles for taking the precautions related to the protection of oral and dental health from early ages. For this reason, we aimed to examine the oral and dental health knowledge and the practice of elementary school students and their mothers. In this study, 100 students attending primary school in Grade 2 and 3 and their mothers (n=92) were our experimental group. The questionnaire developed by the researchers was used to collect the data. The questionnaire was composed questions related to the oral and dental health and questions related to the practices for oral and dental care. The questionnaire was applied to students in the class and to their mothers in a meeting room in small groups. Data was entered into the computer and the percentage and frequency distributions were used to analyze the data. Conclusively, it has been determined that the knowledge of elementary school students and their mothers was not sufficient with respect to oral and dental health. It has been found relations between knowledge and practices of mothers and children about the oral and the dental health. According to the findings and literature, it has been discussed that education about the oral and the dental health should be given to parents and children from the earliest years possible.

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