The Influence of Health Education How to Care for Teeth and Mouths on Knowledge, Attitude and Skills and the Status of Dental and Oral Health in Elementary School

Abstract

One health problem that often occurs in school-age children is dental and oral health problems. One of the efforts made by increasing the knowledge of children and parents about dental and oral health. This study aims to determine the effect of health education on how to care for teeth and mouth on knowledge, attitudes and skills as well as dental and oral health status in elementary school children. This study uses a quasi-experimental design. Respondents of the study amounted to 64 children (intervention group 32 children and control group 32 children). In the intervention group health education was carried out on how to care for teeth and mouth and observed ways to care for teeth and mouth at home for 1 month by involving parents and being monitored by the teacher, while the control group was not carried out. Test the analysis using bivariate univariate (frequency distribution) analysis (t test and correlation test) and multivariate (multiple linear regression). The results showed that there was an effect of health education on how to care for teeth and mouth on the knowledge, attitudes and skills and dental and oral health status of elementary school children (p value = 0.000-0.002 and α = 0.0050). Conclusion: health education about how to care for teeth and mouth is an effort to improve dental and oral health status in children.