Lack of Oral Care Policies in Toronto Daycares

Objectives: Currently, there is a deficit of information on policies regarding oral hygiene practices in Toronto daycares. It is unknown if any tooth‐brushing programs are in existence and if children are permitted to follow professional advice on oral hygiene. The main objectives of this investigat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public health dentistry 2009-06, Vol.69 (3), p.190-196
Main Authors: Gartsbein, Elena, Lawrence, Herenia P., Leake, James L., Stewart, Hazel, Kulkarni, Gajanan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chi-Square Distribution
child
Child Day Care Centers - organization & administration
Child Day Care Centers - statistics & numerical data
Child, Preschool
daycare
dental caries
Dental Caries - prevention & control
Dentistry
Health Policy
Health Resources
Humans
Infant
Ontario
Oral Health
Organizational Policy
policy
preschool
Social Class
Surveys and Questionnaires
tooth brushing
Toothbrushing
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Summary:Objectives: Currently, there is a deficit of information on policies regarding oral hygiene practices in Toronto daycares. It is unknown if any tooth‐brushing programs are in existence and if children are permitted to follow professional advice on oral hygiene. The main objectives of this investigation were to a) determine the prevalence of oral care policies in daycares and b) examine the availability of resources. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with daycare supervisors using a pretested questionnaire. Summary statistics and the chi‐square test were used to analyze the results. Results: Two hundred forty‐nine questionnaires were completed (response rate of 99.6 percent), representing 38 percent of the total daycare population (650) in Toronto. Eighty‐three percent did not have a policy on oral care and 11 percent would not cede to requests from parents or medical professionals to brush teeth. However, 50 daycares indicated that their centers used to have a tooth‐brushing program, and most (79 percent) were open to establishing an oral care policy. Fifteen percent reported not having proper sinks for tooth brushing. Conclusions: Many daycares do not have a policy regarding oral hygiene. A policy that encourages and provides guidance on safe tooth‐brushing procedures is needed and may improve the oral health of preschool children.
ISSN:0022-4006
1752-7325
DOI:10.1111/j.1752-7325.2009.00123.x