The Effectiveness of Oral Health Education Among Non-dental Healthcare Professionals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Quasi-experimental Study.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the level of oral health knowledge and practices among non-dental health professionals and to evaluate the effectiveness of oral health education provided to them. A convenience sample was recruited from non-dental healthcare professionals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to participants to evaluate their oral health knowledge and behavior. Then, oral health educational material (a video) that was specifically developed for the study was sent to all participants to educate them about some oral health information related to adult oral health, oral signs of some systemic diseases, and the oral side effects of some medications. Two weeks later, the same questionnaire was sent to these participants to assess the effectiveness of the oral health education provided to them. The pre-intervention questionnaire results revealed a lack of oral health knowledge and inadequate oral health practices among the participants. After the intervention, the level of knowledge improved significantly from 6.4±2.2 to 10.4±3.8 out of 16 (p <0.001). The oral health education intervention used in the current study was effective in improving oral health knowledge among non-dental healthcare professionals.