# Correlation of Parental and Child Dental Plaque Levels: A Clinical Study
## 4 Discussion  
Based on the data analysis and the results obtained, several key conclusions can be drawn regarding the variables and their relationships within the studied sample. The sample comprised 98 observations, evenly split between mothers and fathers, with 49 observations for each group. The average plaque index of parents (PI_PARENTS) was slightly higher for fathers (0.33) compared to mothers (0.31). In terms of the children's plaque index (PI_CHILD), the averages were nearly equivalent, with mothers at 0.45 and fathers at 0.46. Additionally, the average age of children was slightly lower for mothers (9.96 years) than for fathers (10.35 years). The gender distribution indicated a higher percentage of boys in both groups, with 55% in the mothers' group and 69% in the fathers' group. The beta regression analysis revealed a significant positive effect of PI_PARENTS on PI_CHILD, indicating that an increase in the parents' plaque index is associated with an increase in the children's plaque index. However, the interaction between PI_PARENTS and ID_PARENTS demonstrated a marginally significant negative effect, suggesting that the relationship between PI_PARENTS and the PI_CHILD may vary depending on whether the respondent is the mother or the father. The variables AGE_CHILD and children's gender (SEX_CHILD) did not show significant effects on the PI_CHILD. The visualization of the data through a histogram of the PI_CHILD by ID_PARENTS illustrated the distribution of children's plaque scores for mothers and fathers, highlighting variability within each group. These findings indicate that, although there are some differences in data characteristics between mothers and fathers, the overall impact of PI_PARENTS on the PI_CHILD remains positive and significant, with nuanced differences depending on the parental group. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the intergenerational transmission of oral health behaviors, emphasizing the distinct role of fathers. Unlike prior studies that focused primarily on maternal influence, our findings add to the literature by suggesting that a paternal plaque index can have a meaningful impact on children's oral health outcomes. This highlights a unique dimension in parent-child oral health dynamics, where fathers may require specific focus in oral health interventions aimed at reducing plaque transmission and improving family-wide dental health. The present study aimed to assess the correlation between plaque presence in parents and their children, as well as any significant differences based on who accompanied the child on their first dental visit. Research has consistently shown that parents, particularly fathers, significantly influence their children's oral health. For instance, a study titled \"Are parents' education levels associated with either their oral health knowledge or their children's oral health behaviors? A survey of 8446 families in Wuhan\" found a strong link between parents' health literacy and their children's oral health. Children with parents who possess better knowledge of oral hygiene practices tend to exhibit improved oral health and lower plaque indices, particularly in families where parents, especially fathers, have higher education levels and a greater awareness of hygiene practices [16]. In our study, the average plaque index for fathers (0.33) was slightly higher than that for mothers (0.31). Additionally, other research has demonstrated that parents' oral health behaviors, such as regular tooth brushing and routine dental visits, directly influence their children's oral hygiene habits. This body of work has highlighted that most indicators related to children's oral health behaviors and parents' knowledge about oral health were significantly associated with the mother's education level, with a slightly lesser but still notable impact from the father's education level.