| Abstrakt: |
The aim of this research study was to explore parents' perceptions of factors influencing dental registrations of children, age birth to four years, living within a SureStart area. The electoral ward identified had the lowest rate of dental registrations for both the birth-two and three-five year age groups in a local healthcare Trust in Northern Ireland. The author chose to adopt a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of parents in relation to dental behaviours. A purposive sample of eight parents currently known to SureStart services and not yet registered with a dentist was identified. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviewees were aged between 20-41 years and the number of children in the family ranged from one to three, with their age range spanning from one month to three years. The study identified inconsistencies in advice across professions, in relation to appropriate age of registration, resulting in children being denied early access to dental services. Childhood dental fears and anxiety have also had a lasting impact on some of the mothers which may influence their dental decision-making. |
