Maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices are associated with dental caries in preschool children in eastern United Arab Emirates

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship among knowledge, attitude, and related practices of mothers of preschool children toward their children's dental caries status in the Eastern Region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 387 mothers of Emirati preschool children attending specialized dental centers in the Eastern Region of the UAE. Data were collected through direct interviews using a validated questionnaire to assess maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to their children’s oral health. Clinical oral examinations of the children were performed by a single calibrated examiner, following the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Results: The overall prevalence of dental caries among the examined children was 76.2%, with a mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) score of 7.4. The majority of the mothers had a high level of knowledge (66.1%) and a positive attitude (89.7%) but a poor level of practice. Consequently, the overall KAP score was found to be moderate (48.1%) among nearly half of the participants. Higher maternal knowledge, attitude, and practice levels were associated with lower mean dmft among their children (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) were important determinants of children's oral health.