Correlation of Parental and Child Dental Plaque Levels: A Clinical Study

Objective: This clinical study aimed to explore the correlation between dental plaque levels in parents and their children. Specifically, the study examined differences in plaque correlation between mother–child and father–child pairs and evaluated the role of parental education in influencing children’s oral hygiene practices. Materials and Methods: A total of 196 subjects were recruited, comprising 49 mother–child and 49 father–child pairs, with children aged 6 to 15 years. Dental plaque was assessed using the O’Leary Plaque Control Record, applying a liquid plaque discloser and explorer. The plaque index was calculated as the percentage of dental surfaces with visible plaque relative to the total surfaces examined. Results: The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between the parental plaque index (IP_PARENTS) and the children’s plaque index (IP_CHILD) (p < 0.001), indicating a strong relationship. While the father’s plaque index (ID_PARENTS(FATHER)) showed a marginally positive effect on IP_CHILD (p = 0.0589), the interaction between father identification and IP_PARENTS had a significant negative impact (p = 0.0344), suggesting that paternal influence on children’s plaque levels may vary. The model accounted for 28% of the variability in IP_CHILD (pseudo R2 = 0.2758). Conclusions: The analysis demonstrated a significant association between parental and child plaque levels, with minor differences observed between maternal and paternal influence. No significant effects were found for the age or gender of the children. Overall, increased plaque levels in parents were associated with higher plaque levels in their children, with slight variations depending on the parent’s role.