| Knowledge item | Family physicians agree or strongly agree, no. (%)† n = 164 | Pediatricians agree or strongly agree, no. (%)† n = 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge about early childhood caries | ||
| Untreated tooth decay could affect the general health of a child | 163/163 (100.0) | 15/16 (93.8) |
| Parents should brush their young children's teeth twice a day | 161/164 (98.2) | 16/16 (100.0) |
| The first signs of tooth decay are white spots or lines on the tooth surfaces | 54/161 (33.5) | 8/16 (50.0) |
| Baby teeth are important even though they fall out | 155/161 (96.3) | 16/16 (100.0) |
| Children should have 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day | 149/162 (92.0) | 14/16 (87.5) |
| Parents should limit juice to 4-6 oz/d | 143/162 (88.3) | 14/16 (87.5) |
| I feel confident enough to identify tooth decay in children | 95/164 (57.9) | 13/16 (81.3) |
| I feel knowledgeable enough to discuss and counsel parents and caregivers regarding their children's dental hygiene | 115 /161 (71.4) | 13/16 (81.3) |
| Knowledge about community water fluoridation and topical fluorides | ||
| Community water fluoridation is important for preventing tooth decay | 145/164 (88.4) | 15/16 (93.8) |
| Topical fluoride therapies are important for preventing tooth decay | 125/161 (77.6) | 15/16 (93.8) |
| Awareness of community water fluoridation | ||
| Water supplies in the Niagara region are not fluoridated | 76/161 (47.2) | 11/17 (64.7) |
*Defined as the presence of 1 or more decayed, missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child between birth and 71 months of age.
†Nonrespondents are not included in denominator when calculating percentages.
‡For each question, number of nonrespondents (physicians and pediatricians) vary.