Table 2 Parental views on limitations of and opportunities for professional support to promote children’s oral health

Dental professionals

Little priority for prevention and advice

Encouraging dental visits at an early age

Limited involvement of parents

Delivering dental health education in group discussions

Dissatisfaction with content of dental health education:

Improving the content of dental health education:

• Insufficient and very general information

• Complicated and conflicting messages

• Simple, clear and consistent messages

• Tailored advice

Dissatisfaction with delivery of dental health education:

Improving the delivery of dental health education:

• Tone

• Increasing attention and expression of understanding

Child health centres

Little priority for oral health promotion

Referring to a (paediatric) dentist at an early age

Dissatisfaction with content of dental health education:

Integrating dental health education into general consultation visits (e.g. by assistant in waiting room)

• Insufficient and very general information

• Complicated and conflicting messages (oral health and general health)

Providing information leaflets or showing video’s in waiting room

Schools

Age of children: late advice and prevention

Delivering dental health education at schools

School dental health education: no long term effect on behaviour change

Organizing theme projects at schools

Implementing dietary regulations at schools

Promoting fruit days at schools

Kindergarten

Organizing tooth brushing group activities: learning by doing

Delivering dental health education to parents in group discussions at the day care centre

Social welfare

Collaborating between dental professionals and social welfare: providing parenting support

Health insurance companies

Commercial interests

Providing information leaflets and oral hygiene aids

Privacy issues

Providing lists of dental practices in the area