Children’s Oral Health: The Opportunity for Improvement Using the WHO Health Promoting School Model

Andrew J Macnab

doi:10.1155/2015/651836

Abstract

The health and quality of life of a large proportion of the world’s children are compromised by dental caries and periodontal disease. Those in developing countries and from disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from these forms of poor oral health; however, much of the primary disease and secondary pathology is preventable by simple and inexpensive measures that children can readily learn. WHO health promoting schools (HPS) are an established model for addressing public health issues through education of children in a manner that achieves acquisition of knowledge and health practices that promote behaviours that positively impact determinants of health. HPS programs that address poor oral health have achieved improvement in oral health practices and reduction in caries rates among disadvantaged populations of children. WHO has called for more programs to address the “epidemic” of poor oral health worldwide, and the WHO HPS model appears to be a relevant and applicable way forward. Health care professionals and educators who want to improve the health and quality of life of children related to caries and periodontal disease now have an opportunity to collaborate to initiate, deliver, and evaluate community-based HPS interventions using proven concepts, content, and process.

Highlights

Dental caries and periodontal disease have a worldwide impact on the health of children [1, 2]
Risk factors like poverty, dietary habits, and poor nutrition contribute, even specific local sociobehavioural and environmental factors that play a role in caries and periodontal disease can be addressed in programs that provide health promotion focussed on improvement of oral health
Because children’s oral health is one public health issue where improvement has been achieved through Health Promoting Schools (HPS) programs this paper summarizes the negative impact of poor oral health on children, explains the concept of school-based health promotion using the World Health Organization (WHO) HPS model, and describes the content incorporated and methods used for evaluation of HPS programs to improve oral health

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries and periodontal disease have a worldwide impact on the health of children [1, 2]. Risk factors like poverty, dietary habits, and poor nutrition contribute, even specific local sociobehavioural and environmental factors that play a role in caries and periodontal disease can be addressed in programs that provide health promotion focussed on improvement of oral health. Many such programs exist, but strengthening and increasing their availability has been called for, in developing countries, and amongst disadvantaged special populations [11]. Because children’s oral health is one public health issue where improvement has been achieved through HPS programs this paper summarizes the negative impact of poor oral health on children, explains the concept of school-based health promotion using the WHO HPS model, and describes the content incorporated and methods used for evaluation of HPS programs to improve oral health

Poor Oral Health in Children

Content and Evaluation of HPS Oral Health Programs

Findings

Conclusions