Toothpaste‐Related Attitudes and Practices of Parents of Preschool Children in Istanbul, Türkiye: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Melis Unsal-Caliskaner, Zeynep Seda Uyan, Senem Selvi KuvvetliObjectives
To assess parental attitudes and practices regarding toothpaste usage in preschool children attending paediatric outpatient clinics in Istanbul, Türkiye, and to examine associations with socio‐demographic characteristics.
Methods
A cross‐sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 203 parents of children under 6 years attending paediatric outpatient departments at two university hospitals in Istanbul (June 2022–February 2023). Toothpaste‐related items covered: whether toothpaste was used during brushing and how frequently; reasons for toothpaste usage; whether the child had a separate toothpaste; age at which toothpaste was introduced; who applied toothpaste; amount used; post‐brushing behaviour; criteria when choosing toothpaste; and reasons for brand selection. Chi‐square tests and Z tests with Bonferroni correction assessed associations with parent age, education, sex, number of children and child age group.
Results
The majority of children (84.2%) were reported to use toothpaste during toothbrushing, while only 71.4% used it every time. Only 12.3% of parents started using toothpaste immediately after eruption of the first deciduous teeth, while 70.2% began between ages 1–3 years. More than half of parents (59.1%) put toothpaste on their children’s toothbrush themselves, and 64.9% used less than 1/3 of the brush length. However, 22.4% of children swallowed toothpaste while brushing, significantly more common in children under 2 years (61.5%) and in single‐child families (32.9% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.020). Consistent toothpaste usage was significantly associated with child age ( p < 0.001) and parent age ( p < 0.001). Most parents (87.1%) considered the contents of toothpaste when choosing, while only 8.8% specifically mentioned fluoride. Nearly half (47.6%) chose their toothpaste brand due to organic/herbal ingredients, and the most popular brand chosen was a fluoride‐free product (29.9%).
Conclusions
Despite high overall rates of toothpaste usage, important gaps remain: delayed introduction, high rates of toothpaste swallowing among young children and critically low awareness of fluoride as a key toothpaste ingredient. Targeted parental education, particularly on the benefits of fluoridated toothpaste, appropriate quantity and correct post‐brushing behaviour, is urgently needed.