The influence of parental oral health literacy on children's oral health: a scoping review

The aim of this review was to evaluate the association between parental oral health literacy and children’s oral health outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted across four electronic databases to identify articles that were published up to October 2023. The articles that met our predetermined criteria were then screened and assessed for eligibility. Updated Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework was followed. After identifying 2964 references, duplicates were removed, leaving 1992 titles. Following the screening of article titles and abstracts, 19 full-text articles underwent a thorough examination. The scoping review included 19 relevant studies. In most of the studies included, the status of oral health of children is linked to the caregiver’s oral health literacy. Children of caregivers with low oral health literacy were found to exhibit deleterious oral health habits, including inadequate teeth brushing and the use of bottles at night-time. Dental caries was found to be more common in children whose parents had low oral health literacy. Striving for optimal oral health literacy in the community is a valuable and worthwhile effort. Equipping parents with the skills and knowledge to make appropriate decisions about their children’s oral health could positively prevent dental caries and promote better oral health outcomes.

Literacy; Health; Oral health literacy; Parental oral health literacy

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