Parent's reflection shows a child with healthy teeth, while the actual child's oral health is less ideal, highlighting the impact of perception.

Is Your Child's Smile Healthy? How Your Perception Impacts Their Brushing Habits

Nico Varela in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"A new study reveals the surprising influence of parents' views on their children's oral health and its direct link to their daily tooth brushing habits."

Dental caries, or tooth decay, remains a widespread issue affecting children globally. While the understanding of what causes cavities is constantly evolving, it is still highly prevalent in young children. Recent studies indicate that factors beyond just diet and hygiene play a crucial role in a child's oral health.

Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their children's health behaviors, particularly in early childhood. Their knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions significantly influence how children approach oral hygiene. Because parents directly oversee their child's healthcare, their own views on dental health matters a great deal.

A recent study explored how parents' self-perception of their child’s oral health influences the child's tooth brushing frequency. The study assessed socioeconomic factors, clinical conditions, and parental perceptions to provide insights into improving children's oral hygiene.

The Parent's Perspective: How It Changes Everything

Parent's reflection shows a child with healthy teeth, while the actual child's oral health is less ideal, highlighting the impact of perception.

The study revealed a significant connection between a parent's perception of their child's oral health and the frequency of tooth brushing. Parents who rated their child's oral health as worse than or equal to that of other children were more likely to have children with less frequent tooth brushing habits.

Why does this matter? Psychosocial theories suggest that self-perception significantly impacts health-related behaviors. When parents perceive their child’s oral health negatively, it can affect their motivation and consistency in maintaining good oral hygiene practices.

Psychosocial Stress: Negative perceptions can create stress, leading to inconsistent oral care.
Social Disparities: Lower socioeconomic groups often rate oral health poorly, impacting habits.
Quality of Life: Poor parental perception can negatively affect the entire family's well-being, influencing daily routines and health priorities.

The study also found that older children (ages 3-5) tend to brush more frequently than younger children. Additionally, children who had not visited a dentist recently were less likely to brush regularly. This highlights the importance of early dental visits and consistent professional guidance.

Turning Perception into Positive Action

Understanding the influence of parental perception is the first step toward improving children's oral health. By recognizing how your views affect your child’s habits, you can take proactive steps to promote better dental care.

Focus on creating a positive and supportive environment around oral hygiene. Encourage regular brushing by making it a fun and engaging activity. Schedule regular dental visits to reinforce the importance of oral health and receive professional guidance.

Ultimately, investing in your child's oral health yields long-term benefits, reducing future dental service use and promoting a lifetime of healthy smiles. Prioritizing preventive strategies and addressing psychosocial factors can lead to more effective and sustainable improvements in children's oral hygiene.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1590/0103-6440201302426, Alternate LINK

Title: Self-Perceived Oral Health Influences Tooth Brushing In Preschool Children

Subject: General Dentistry

Journal: Brazilian Dental Journal

Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)

Authors: Bernardo Antonio Agostini, Rômulo Vaz Machry, Carlos Roberto Da Silva Teixeira, Chaiana Piovesan, Marta Dutra Machado Oliveira, Carmela Rampazzo Bresolin, Thiago Machado Ardenghi

Published: 2014-07-01

Everything You Need To Know

What are the primary oral health problems affecting children, and what role does parental perception play in these problems?

Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, remains a significant global issue among children. Factors like diet and hygiene play a part, but parental perception is also key. If parents view their child's oral health negatively, it can contribute to less frequent brushing and potentially, increased rates of dental caries.

Why is the parent's perspective on their child's oral health so important?

Parental perceptions are crucial because parents directly influence their children's health behaviors, especially in early childhood. Parents' beliefs and views on dental health shape their child's approach to oral hygiene. For example, a negative parental view of their child's oral health can result in inconsistent tooth brushing habits due to psychosocial stress, which can affect the entire family's well-being and priorities.

Are there other factors besides parental perception that influence how often a child brushes their teeth?

Yes, the frequency of tooth brushing can be influenced by several factors. The study revealed that older children (ages 3-5) generally brush more often than younger children. Additionally, children who have not had a recent dental visit are less likely to brush regularly. Furthermore, the parent's perception of their child's oral health significantly impacts how often the child brushes their teeth.

How does a parent's perception of their child's oral health relate to their child's tooth brushing habits?

Parental perceptions of their child's oral health impact tooth brushing habits. If parents believe their child's oral health is worse than other children's, the child is likely to brush less often. This connection highlights the influence of parents' views on their child's dental care. This effect relates to psychosocial theories that self-perception affects health behaviors, which can create stress, impact routines, and influence health priorities.

What steps can parents take to improve their child's oral health based on the findings?

Understanding how parental perception affects tooth brushing habits is the initial step toward promoting better oral health in children. By recognizing the impact of your views, parents can take proactive steps to encourage better dental care. This includes promoting consistent brushing habits, scheduling regular dental visits, and possibly changing their own perceptions to positively influence their child's oral hygiene practices. Consistent professional guidance is also important for children's dental care.