First dental visit of children-A mixed-method approach.

BACKGROUND: First dental visit (FDV), the essence of preventive paediatric dentistry, has a significant impact on the child's oral health. Mixed-method research provides meaningful insight into the multiple facets of FDV. AIM: To evaluate the average age and most common reason for FDV of children in Namakkal district and to explore the individual perceptions of parent's view on their child's FDV. METHOD: Sequential mixed-method approach was employed. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey on FDV was conducted among 4543 parents of children <6 years. The second phase included a semi-structured face-to-face qualitative interview for 10 parents. RESULTS: Out of 4543 children, only 31.0% had FDV. Majority of children (49.0%) had FDV after 5 years of age. Dental caries was the most common reason for FDV (75.0%). Three themes were derived from the interviews, namely FDV experiences, barriers to child dental care, and solutions for an early dental visit. CONCLUSION: Children in Namakkal district had delayed FDV (>5 years). The most common reason for FDV was dental caries. Lack of knowledge, lack of interdisciplinary practices, and social and financial barriers seem to have influenced the FDV of lack of knowledge these children.