Parents’ Perspectives on Early Childhood Oral Health Care—Results from a Survey in a Vulnerable Population in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva, Spain)

Introduction: Oral health in early childhood is essential. Parents, as the primary caregivers, must possess basic knowledge to achieve optimal oral health status. Objectives: The study aims to assess parents’ knowledge and perspectives on early childhood oral health and to evaluate how nationality and educational attainment influence their preventive habits and dental priorities within a nursery and primary school in the province of Huelva (Spain). Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 129 parents of children aged 3, 4, and 5 years from the aforementioned educational center. A modified questionnaire, validated by experts in the field, was used as the assessment tool. Results: Nationality and education were key determinants of oral health literacy. Spanish-born guardians reported significantly higher dental attendance for their children compared to foreign-born guardians (97.7% vs. 84.2%; p = 0.030). A profound cultural gap was observed in caries etiology: 71.1% of foreign-born respondents attributed caries to “infections or heredity,” while 98.4% of Spanish-born respondents correctly identified behavioral factors (p < 0.001). Regarding educational attainment, 75% of the high-education group prioritized functional health (posterior sector) compared to only 26.3% in the low-education group (p < 0.001). Additionally, a non-linear gap was found in knowledge of primary tooth complications, with the medium-education group showing the lowest awareness (34.8%; p = 0.047).