Abstract
Background: Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems, especially dental caries, gingivitis and bad breath. The purpose of maintaining oral hygiene is to prevent the build-up of plaque. Aim of this study was to assess the oral hygiene knowledge andpractices among school age children. The research design was a descriptive. It was carried out at 5 governmental primary schools representing Port-Said City. The study subjects consisted of 202 school age children in the age group of 10-12 years, regardless their gender and residence. The data was collected using an interview questionnaire sheet and observational checklist to assess the study subjects' knowledge and reported practices related to oral hygiene. The results of the study revealed that one third of the studied children were at the age group of 11 years, more than half were females. Moreover, less than half and more than one third of studied children had unsatisfactory total knowledge and reported practices respectively regarding oral hygiene. In addition to more than half of studied children's don`t follow up about their teeth. It was concluded that knowledge and reported practices of the studied children regarding oral hygiene practice was satisfactory by more than half of them. The study recommended raising awareness of school age children about oral health and hygiene through oral health education sessions and community outreach programs in children's school settings.
Highlights
Oral health plays an important role in the overall health of the body and the quality of life of individuals (Hashemian et al, 2012; Pakpour et al, 2012 and Fallahi et al, 2013).Oral health is a fundamental component of health and well-being
Oral hygiene practice is very low in our society
Dental caries and periodontal problems are due to poor oral hygiene practices (Morenike et al, 2007)
Summary
Oral health plays an important role in the overall health of the body and the quality of life of individuals (Hashemian et al, 2012; Pakpour et al, 2012 and Fallahi et al, 2013).Oral health is a fundamental component of health and well-being. The oral health is a state that contributes positively to one’s physical, mental and social well-being by allowing the individual to speak, eat and socialize unhindered by pain, discomfort or embarrassment (Canadian Dental Association, 2015d). Dental caries and periodontal problems are due to poor oral hygiene practices (Morenike et al, 2007). Aim of this study was to assess the oral hygiene knowledge and practices among school age children. The data was collected using an interview questionnaire sheet and observational checklist to assess the study subjects' knowledge and reported practices related to oral hygiene. Less than half and more than one third of studied children had unsatisfactory total knowledge and reported practices respectively regarding oral hygiene. It was concluded that knowledge and reported practices of the studied children regarding oral hygiene practice was satisfactory by more than half of them. The study recommended raising awareness of school age children about oral health and hygiene through oral health education sessions and community outreach programs in children's school settings
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