Socio-behavioural determinants associated with the first dental visit in Saudi children: A cross-sectional study

Backgroud
Oral health is an integral component of overall well-being, understanding the age at which children have their first dental visit (FDV) and the socio-behavioural factors influencing these visits is essential for improving oral health outcomes in children.

Aim
This study aimed to determine the age at which Saudi children had their FDV and the socio-behavioural predictors associated with these visits in Al Jouf Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Design
This cross-sectional study used a multistage stratified random sampling technique to invite 566 parents/guardians of schoolchildren aged 12 years or younger. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify socio-behavioural variables that predict children's FDV. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results
Most FDVs in children occurred between the ages of 6 and 10 years. More than half of the participants stated that FDVs occurred primarily because of dental pain. Furthermore, educated mothers reported a higher frequency of dental visits for their children. Children with a low family income were 63% (95% confidence interval 0.16–0.83; p = .015) less likely to visit a dentist between the ages of 1 and 5 years.

Conclusion
First dental visits in children in Al Jouf Province typically occurred between the ages of 6 and 10 years, with dental pain being the main reason. Parents' or caregiver's relationships with children, parental age and familial income were identified as predictors of the FDV.