Assessment of Pediatric Dentists’ Knowledge and Practice towards the Use of Fluoridated Toothpaste

Abstract

Aim: To assess knowledge and practice of pediatric dentists towards using fluoridated toothpastes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, electronic, self-administered, modified version of a validated English questionnaire was used. The modifications were primarily regarding practice in different age groups. It was created using Google Forms and posted on social media groups for convenience sampling. Responses were accepted until 207 were reached. Categorical data were presented as frequencies (n) and percentages (%). Statistical analysis was performed using R statistical analysis software version 4.0.3 for Windows. Results: Regarding practice, only 70% of respondents recommend specific types of toothpaste for patients according to their age. Almost half of the respondents didn’t recommend any toothpaste to be used for infants aged 0-18 months. For toddlers aged 18 months to 3 years, 53.1% recommended to use toothpaste with 600 ppm fluoride, while 70.3% recommended the use of a smear/rice-sized amount of toothpaste. For children aged 3 to 6 years, 47.6% recommended to use toothpaste with 600 ppm, while 76.6% recommended using a pea-sized amount. Conclusion: Pediatric dentists in Egypt have good knowledge of toothpastes’ active ingredient, and of acute fluoride toxicity. However, there is confusion between dentists regarding fluoride concentrations recommended for each age group. This is most probably due to lack of consensus between different currently available guidelines regarding this matter.