Predictors of first dental visit among children in Ardabil, Iran

Background: Children’s first referral to the dental clinic offers preventive care and parent education about the child’s oral health. Considering the importance of dental health in children, this study aimed to examine the reasons and time for children’s first dental visit.Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 598 children (314 girls and 284 boys) from birth to age 10 who first referred to Ardabil’s dental clinics in 2022. Information about the child’s dental visit, the age and education level of the parents, and the number of children in the family were collected. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were utilized to analyze the associations between the variables. The level of statistical significance was set at P 0.05.Results: The mean age of children at their first visit to the dentist was 6.268±1.07 years. It was revealed that pain (51.3%) and caries (22.2%) were the first two reasons for the first dental visit. No significant relationship was found between gender and the reasons for the first dental visit (P=0.05). The child’s referral age decreased with increasing parental education (P=-0.240 for the mother, P=-0.186 for the father). A significant and positive correlation was found between parents and the child’s age at the time of referral (P=0.00).Conclusion: Children commonly had a late first dental visit, as opposed to medical recommendations. The predominant reasons for the child’s first dental visit were pain and dental caries. More awareness among parents/caregivers is necessary in this regard.