Evaluation of The Feeling of The Guilty Of Parents Due To Their Children's Existing Dental Problems

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feelings of guilt of parents about their children's problems caused by dental caries, and to examine the relationship between parental guilt and sociodemographic factors, by examining early childhood caries (ECC) and severe ECC (S-ECC). Children younger than 72 months with dental caries were included in the study (N=200). Parents answered the questionnaire consisting of two parts, which included sociodemographic information and adapted ECOHIS questions. Results were analyzed by Chi-square and onefactor Logistic Regression test. 85.5% of the children were S-ECC, and 14.5% were ECC.27.5% of the parents reported feeling guilty about their children's dental problems. Parents chose the lack of brushing with the highest rate (40.5%) as the source of the problem. 95.0% of the parents stated that existing dental caries in their children can be prevented, and 73.5% of them stated that visiting a dentist could be prevent the problem. No statistically significant relationship was found between the parents' feelings of guilt due to their children's dental problems and the sources of the problem, types of prevention, and sociodemographic characteristics. Parents should take the necessary responsibility for their children's oral health. Families should be informed about their children's oral health and encouraged to practice. Keywords: Dental caries, Early childhood caries, Guilt, Parents