Perceived Barriers of Mothers in Use of Dental Floss for their 3-6-Year-Old Children:A Qualitative Study

Flossing is the best and most common way to clean between teeth where plaque accumulation and gingivitis starts. However, many mothers neglect the flossing of their small children. The purpose of this study was to provide better understanding of perceived barriers of mothers in use of dental floss for their 3-6-year-old children.
This qualitative study examined the perceived barriers of 40 mothers of 3-6-year-old childrenutilizing qualitative content analysis approach. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling in Kamyaran, Iran, in 2014. Data were collected through conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The transcriptions of all interviews were analyzed by content analysis technique to extract main themes in regards to research questions.
Mothers’ perceived barriers were categorized into two main groups as mother and family member-related barriers (inappropriate attitudes, behaviors and skills, mental and emotional conditions, and knowledge) and child-related barriers (skill).
The results of this study highlight the importance of understanding mothers’ barriers to help their children in flossing and emphasized the role of mothers and family members in establishing this oral health behavior in children fromearly years. It is suggested that comprehensive and effective oral health education programs should include modifying wrong, but important, assumptions and beliefs of parents regarding primary teeth and importance of healthy oral health behaviors.