Impact of an educational leaflet on parents' knowledge and awareness of children's orthodontic problems in Shiraz.

ABSTRACT Raising parents' awareness about dentofacial malocclusions is important for avoiding delays in seeking treatment. The aim of the present research was to assess the impact of an educational leaflet on parent's knowledge and awareness of orthodontic malocclusion in children. Parents of 533 7-9-year-old schoolchildren were randomized into a leaflet group who received an educational leaflet and a control group with no leaflet. Pre-and post-intervention test scores on a questionnaire about orthodontic problems were compared. Differences between post- and pre-test scores were significantly higher in the leaflet group than the control group for the total score and the domain on general awareness of orthodontic problems. Scores on the domain of knowledge of referral intervals did not differ significantly. Information leaflets may be useful for increasing parents' awareness of orthodontic problems in children.