ABSTRACT
Objectives: to determine the association between parental educational level and dental caries in children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 106 children aged 6-12 years along with their parents at Bethel Indonesia Church Rock, Jakarta. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect demographic data. Dental examination was carried out using the deft (decayed, exfoliated, filled teeth) index. Spearman Correlation was performed to investigate the correlation between parental educational level and dental caries in children. Results: Caries presence was lower in children with higher educational level of father (56.6%) as well as higher educational level of mother (55.7%). This study showed significant correlation between dental caries in children with father educational level (p=0.000) as well as mother educational level (p=0.000). Conclusion: Parental educational level was a significant determinant of dental caries in children. Higher parental education level was correlated with lower prevalence of dental caries in children.
