Perception of parents/guardians about self-medication for oral problems in their children: a cross-sectional study in Brazilian parents/guardians

PURPOSE: Children and adolescents represent a group strongly prone to the irrational use of medications without medical control. This study aimed to evaluate the practice of self-medication by parents/guardians due to oral health problems in their children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 108 parents/guardians of children. Participants provided socioeconomic data and answered a self-administered questionnaire about the practice of self-medication related to oral problems in their children. Descriptive and bivariate analyzes were performed (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The participants had a mean age of 38.3 ± 9.1 years and were mostly female (n = 86; 79.6%). Almost a third (n = 35; 32.4%) of the participants have already self-medicated their children due to oral problems. There was a significant association between having self-medicated the children and having already self-medicated himself (p < 0.001) and being in favor of self-medication (p < 0.001). The most frequently self-medicated oral problems were symptoms of tooth eruption (n = 25; 71.4%), toothache (n = 21; 60.0%) and oral/traumatic ulcers (n = 21; 60.0%). Temporary pain relief was the main motivator for the practice of self-medication (94.3%). Analgesics (82.9%) were the medicines most used. Almost a third (n = 10; 28.6%) of the participants who have already self-medicated their children believe that the practice of self-medication does not bring any problems to the children's health. CONCLUSION: Parents/guardians self-medicate their children in cases of oral problems and believe that the practice of self-medication does not harm the child's health.