Abstract
Objective: To determine the effect of dental health education for teachers and parents on children aged 7–9 years old. Material and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a nonrandomized control group and a pretest-posttest design. The intervention group comprised 20 teachers and 66 mothers, whereas the control group consisted of 10 teachers and 54 mothers. Data on the knowledge and behavior of teachers and mothers were retrieved by pretest and posttest questionnaires. The 66 children in the intervention group underwent a 16-surface tooth brushing program, whereas the 54 children in the control group were only provided theoretical education by their teachers and mothers. The evaluation was conducted after one month to measure the children’s dental plaque index . Results: An increase in teachers’ oral health knowledge (16.7%), teachers’ oral health behavior (20%), mothers’ oral health knowledge (16.7%), and mothers’ oral health behavior (20%) was noted; the children’s plaque index was decreased (47%) . Conclusion: The dental health education of teachers and parents (mothers) supported by the 16-surface teeth brushing program resulted in a significant reduction in the dental plaque index in children aged 7–9 years old.
Highlights
Oral health is an important aspect of an individual's life because it is the main route of entrance for bacteria and viruses into the body [1]
The dental health education of teachers and parents supported by the 16surface teeth brushing program resulted in a significant reduction in the dental plaque index in children aged 7–9 years old
The students at the Cipinang Besar Utara Elementary School belonged to the intervention group, while those at the Nurul Yaqin Elementary School belonged to the control group
Summary
Oral health is an important aspect of an individual's life because it is the main route of entrance for bacteria and viruses into the body [1]. Dental caries is one of the most common diseases of the oral cavity. Based on the Basic Health Research (2007, 2013), the national prevalence of oral and dental problems increased from 23.2% in 2007 to 25.9% in 2013. In 2018, based on Basic Health Research data, the prevalence increased to 88.8% [5]. The proportion based on the characteristics of children aged 7–9 years increased from 21.6% in 2007 to 28.9% in 2013 in Indonesia, and from 26.6% to 31.4% in the province of DKI Jakarta. Based on data from Basic Health Research (2018), the prevalence of dental caries in 5–9-year-old children in Indonesia was 92.6% [5]
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