Oral Health Education Session Research Articles

Impact of oral intervention on the oral and overall health of children living with HIV in Cambodia: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundMaintaining oral health is essential for improving overall health of children living with HIV. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health intervention for improving their oral and overall health. In addition, we examined their longitudinal association between changes in oral and overall health.MethodsWe conducted a 2-year randomized controlled trial involving children living with HIV in Cambodia. Children aged 3–15 years and their caregivers were randomly allocated either to the intervention (group A) or control (group B) arm. A second control arm (group C) included children without HIV. The group A children received oral health education sessions and practiced home-based daily care.ResultsIn the baseline survey, 482 children participated (group A: n = 160, group B: n = 168, group C: n = 154), and 350 completed the endline survey. An interaction effect in teeth brushing duration was observed in children in group A relative to group B (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.37–5.31) and group C (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.70–8.40). Longitudinal associations were observed between changes in oral hygiene and overall health, as presented by alterations in dental caries in permanent teeth with viral load detection (adjusted odds ratio = 3.58, 95% CI: 1.10 − 11.73), in salivary flow quantity with the overall quality of life (β = 0.07, 95% CI: < 0.01 − 0.13), as well as in dental caries, salivary pH, debris index with body mass index for age among group A children.ConclusionsOral health intervention may improve oral care behaviors and potentially enhance overall health among children living with HIV in antiretroviral therapy in a resource-constrained setting.Trial registrationISRCTN 15177479.

MOTHERS' KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS ORAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AGED UP TO 3 YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Purpose: To comparatively analyze the oral health-related knowledge of mothers of children aged up to 3 years before and after the "Dental Home for Children" educational program (www.dentalendom.bg) Material/methods: The study involved a group of 90 mothers of children aged up to 3 years who visited the special educational and motivational website www.dentalendom.bg and completed our survey. We compared and processed the results of the survey using 90 control questionnaires, which were completed by parents who had visited the dental office without having attended an oral health education and motivation session in advance. Results: The results obtained from the survey completed by mothers of children aged up to 3 years show that their knowledge of the importance of fluoride prevention, the risks of nighttime bottle feeding with baby formula for a long time, mistakes in feeding, and the early transmission of cariogenic bacteria increased substantially compared to the mothers who did not visit the educational website. Conclusion: The obtained positive results give us reason to believe that e-learning health education programs are useful for both mothers and children aged up to 3 years.

Comparative Study of Oral Health Education Given by a Dentist and Schoolteachers in Thai Grade 3 Students.

ABSTRACTObjectives:To compare children’s knowledge and attitudes toward oral health (OH) and plaque score after receiving OH education (OHE) from a dentist or trained schoolteachers.Materials and Methods:Third-grade students in Amphoe Meuang, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand (n = 652), were randomly divided into a dentist group (n = 217), a teacher group (n = 216), and a control group (n = 219). The students’ OH knowledge, attitudes, and plaque scores before the intervention were collected as baseline data. The dentist and the teacher groups received additional OH education sessions by a dentist and trained schoolteachers, respectively. Their immediate post-test knowledge was evaluated after each session, and plaque scores were determined after the brushing session. All groups continued a monthly tooth brushing activity for two months. The final assessment was done at the three-month follow-up.Results:The students who received additional OHE by either a dentist or teacher demonstrated improved knowledge and attitudes towards OH, including plaque score. Interestingly, at the three-month follow-up, the knowledge score in the teacher group was significantly higher than in the dentist group. However, the dentist group had a significantly lower plaque score compared with the teacher group.Conclusions:Additional OHE in school significantly improved students’ OH knowledge and positive attitudes regardless of the provider. However, the teacher tends to have a greater impact on their students; thus after appropriate training, schoolteachers can be efficient OH educators, especially in the long term.

Oral Hygiene Knowledge and Practices among School Age Children: an Assessment Study

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.

Impact evaluation of a school-based oral health program: Kuwait National Program

BackgroundThis study evaluated the relationship between enrolment in a school-based oral health prevention program (SOHP) and: 1) children’s dental health status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and 2) mothers’ oral health (OH) knowledge, attitude, practice, and OHRQoL.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, in the Kuwait Capital, included 440 primary school children aged 11 to 12 years and their mothers. Participants were classified into two groups: SOHP and non-SOHP. The SOHP group had been enrolled in the prevention program for at least 3 years: children had twice-a-year applications of fluoride varnish and fissure sealants if needed; mothers had, at least, one oral health education session. The non-SOHP group had negative consents and had not been exposed to the prevention program activities. Dental examinations were performed at schools using portable dental units. Caries experience was determined using the decayed (D/d), missing (M/m), and filled (F/f) teeth (T/t)/surface (S/s) indices. Children’s OHRQoL was assessed using a self-administered validated Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11–14 (CPQ11–14). Mothers’ OH knowledge, attitude, practice, and OHRQoL were also assessed. After Bonferroni correction, a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for caries experience measures while a p-value of less than 0.013 was considered statistically significant for OHRQoL subscales and mothers’ OH knowledge, attitude, practice, and OHRQoL.ResultsMean (SD) DT/dt, DMFT/dmft and DMFS/dmfs were 1.41 (1.66), 2.35 (2.33), and 4.41 (5.86) for SOHP children, respectively. For non-SOHP children, the means were 2.61 (2.63), 3.56 (3.05), and 7.24 (7.78), respectively. The difference between the SOHP and non-SOHP was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Children enrolled in the program had a higher number of sealed and restored teeth. No significant differences were found in CPQ11–14 scores or subscale scores between the two groups. No significant difference in mothers’ OH knowledge, attitude, practices or OHRQoL was found between SOHP and non-SOHP groups (P > 0.013).ConclusionEnrolment in the SOHP prevention services was associated with a positive impact on children’s caries level with no significant impact on mothers’ knowledge, attitude, practice, or OHRQoL.

The impact of a prospective 4‐year longitudinal school intervention for improving oral health and oral health inequalities in primary schoolchildren in Flanders‐Belgium

Oral diseases and socio-economic inequalities in children are a persisting problem. To investigate the 4-year longitudinal impact of an oral health promotion programme on oral health, knowledge, and socio-economic inequalities in primary schoolchildren. The intervention was carried out between 2010 and 2014 within a random sample of Flemish primary schoolchildren (born in 2002). It consisted of an annual oral health education session. ICDAS/DMFT, care level, knowledge scores, and plaque index were used as outcome variables. Being entitled to a corrective policy measure was used as social indicator. Mixed model analyses were conducted to evaluate changes over time between intervention and control group and between higher and lower social subgroups. A total of 1058 participants (23.8%) attended all four sessions. The intervention had a stabilizing effect on the number of decayed teeth and increased knowledge scores. No statistically different effect on the two social groups could be demonstrated. Socio-economic inequalities were present both at T0 and T4 . The oral health promotion programme had a positive impact on oral health knowledge and stabilized the number of decayed teeth. No impact on inequalities could be demonstrated, although a higher dropout rate in children with a lower social status was seen.

Oral Health Education Improved Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Plaque Scores in Thai Third-grade Students: A Randomised Clinical Trial.

To compare students' knowledge, attitudes towards oral health, and plaque scores after oral health education sessions delivered by trained schoolteachers vs the control group. The participants, comprising third-grade students in Amphoe Meuang, Nakhonphanom province (N = 435), were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 216) and a control group (n = 219). Baseline data of the students' oral health knowledge, attitudes, and plaque scores were collected at the beginning of the study. The experimental group was given oral health education sessions by trained schoolteachers using a specifically designed student handbook, while the control group did not receive extra oral health education other than the national curriculum. The immediate post-test knowledge was evaluated after each session, and plaque scores were determined after the brushing session. After the oral health education programme ended, the experimental and control groups performed a monthly toothbrushing activity for 2 months. Final assessment of the students' knowledge, attitudes, and plaque score was done at the 3-month follow-up. The experimental group's oral health knowledge statistically significantly improved immediately after each session and was still statistically significant during the following three months. This improvement was also statistically significantly higher compared with the control group. The attitudes towards oral health care, foods related to caries, and dental visit improved. The plaque score of the experimental group was statistically significantly lower immediately post-brushing, but was not statistically significantly different at the 3-month follow-up compared with baseline. The children receiving oral health education provided by trained schoolteachers had statistically significantly greater oral health knowledge and more positive attitudes towards oral health than the children who had not received the programme. No statistically significant differences in plaque scores were found after 3 months.

Improving overall health of children living with HIV through an oral health intervention in Cambodia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundCurrently, the number of children living with HIV is the highest ever. This has led to an increased focus on a healthy life expectancy in this population. Improving oral health status may contribute to improved immunity, which could in turn lead to greater overall health in this population. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral health intervention in improving oral health and immune status among children living with HIV in Cambodia.MethodsA randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Phnom Penh from May 2018 to April 2020. Among 520 dyads of children living with their respective caregivers, half will be randomly allocated to the intervention group and the other half to the control group. Children aged 3–15 years who are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy at the National Pediatric Hospital will be recruited. In addition, 260 HIV-uninfected children (age-matched to the intervention group) will be recruited from the communities. They, together with their caregivers, will comprise the second control group. The main components of the intervention will include oral health education sessions for the children, as well as daily oral self-care under the supervision of their caregivers. The primary study outcome will be the change in oral health status including the number of decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth, and the secondary outcome will be CD4 count. The effects of the intervention will be assessed by comparing outcome indicators between the children in the intervention and those in the control groups.DiscussionThis trial will investigate the effects of an oral health intervention on the improvement of oral health and immune status among children living with HIV and determine the differences compared with the control groups. This intervention would encourage the promotion of oral health interventions among children living with HIV and thus contribute to delaying the onset of AIDS.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials, International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register, ISRCTN15177479. Registered on 17 January 2018.

Effects of oral health education in Myanmar preschool children and guardians.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oral health education on preschool children's oral health status and habits, and their guardian's oral health knowledge. A 1-year interventional study was conducted for 201 preschool children from January 2016 to January 2017. A questionnaire survey and clinical oral examination were performed at baseline and at 1-year follow up. A 30-min oral health education session was given to children and their teachers and guardians separately by a dentist every 6months. The impact of health education was evaluated by assessing the changes in guardians' questionnaires and children's oral health status during the 1-year period. The mean oral health knowledge scores of guardians significantly increased from 8.0±2.0 at baseline to 9.0±2.5 at 1-year follow up (P<.001). Most oral health habits, except drinking water after eating, significantly improved at 1-year follow up. Significant decreases in debris score (P=.008) and gingival score (P<.001) were found. Comprehensive oral health education was shown to improve guardians' knowledge of oral hygiene, and oral health habits and status of their children. It is necessary to adopt a comprehensive oral health-promotion program involving oral health-care professionals, parents, and teachers.

A Pilot test of an oral health education module for community health workers in Ikeja LGA, Lagos State.

Objectives : The purpose of this paper is to report the experience of developing, facilitating, and evaluating a 3-day module on oral health education for Primary Health Care Workers (CHW) in Ikeja LGA Lagos State. Methods : Twenty-one CHW in Ikeja LGA were invited for a 3-day oral health education-training program in January 2015. An oral health education manual and a flip chart developed for this purpose were used during training. Participants received didactic lectures on the first two days and participated in a practical session on the third day. A pretest was done before the training session while a posttest was done immediately and 6 months after the intervention. Data entry, validation and analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Results : Majority of the respondents were female (95.0%), Community Health Officers (65.0%), mean age was 42.1± 10.4 years while mean years of experience was 9.7 ±10.8 years. There was a statistically significant increase (p= 0.000) in the mean knowledge score of participants immediately after the intervention. There was no difference between the results obtained immediately and at 6 months after the training (p= 0.328). All participants reported including oral health education in their routine health education sessions at the 6-month review. They also reported observing changes in client's perception and behavior regarding oral health. They identified the flipchart as a useful tool for the oral health education sessions in the PHC. Conclusion : PHC workers can be easily trained and deployed as oral health educators particularly in areas where there is shortage of oral health care workers. Keywords : oral health; oral health education; primary health care; community health workers.

Preventive Dental Care: An Educational Program to Integrate Oral Care Into Pediatric Oncology .

Early childhood dental caries (dental cavities) is an infectious process. The development of oral problems during cancer care results in pain, fever, and delay in treatment. . The objective of this project was to integrate preventive oral care into pediatric oncology care. . This project consisted of an educational program for pediatric oncology providers who completed pre- and postprogram surveys assessing oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practice; attended an oral health education session; and performed oral assessment and fluoride varnish application on children during cancer treatment. . Three major outcomes resulted from this project.

New Vision for Improving the Oral Health Education of Visually Impaired Children- A Non Randomized Control Trial.

Visually impaired people have poorer oral hygiene when compared to others. Therefore, there is a necessity for individual training by making awareness in oral care and plaque control so as to improve their oral hygiene. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of oral health innovative educative method among visually impaired children of Bengaluru city of India. A non-randomized control trial was conducted among 40 visually impaired individuals attending special school for blind. The study was conducted for a duration of six months. Baseline data regarding oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was obtained through a questionnaire in Braille and oral plaque assessment was done using Silness and Loe plaque index (1964). Music based brushing technique, cast models and an oral health education talk and booklet in Braille was delivered stressing on importance of oral health. The results of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) before and after health education were analysed using Chi-square test with SPSS version 22.0. The overall KAP was lower in the preintervention period among the visually impaired children with mean score of 6.98 while after the modified oral health education session, it was increased to a mean score of 14.68 which was statistically significant at p<0.001. There was a significant change in the oral plaque scores with 80% of the children having fair scores in the preintervention period to 30% in the postintervention period. This oral health education module showed good results which can be implemented to effectively increase the awareness about dental health.

The Impact of Integrating Oral Health Education into a Medical Curriculum

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate our pilot program incorporating oral health education into the medical curriculum by evaluating students' perspectives on the oral health curriculum. Subjects and Methods: Two hundred second-year students were asked to fill in a presession survey online regarding their familiarity with basic oral health concepts and their comfort level with performing oral examinations, and a postsession survey on paper that repeated the presession questions and added questions on the effectiveness of the session. Results: Of the 200 students, 164 (82%) participated in the surveys. The pre- and postsurvey results showed that the session helped students become more comfortable with performing oral examinations and recognizing risks for periodontal disease, with an increase from 40 (27%) to 119 (82%) and 51 (35%) to 124 (86%), respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the oral health education session contributed to an increase in student awareness and understanding of oral health. Considering the reported effectiveness of the interactive session on student comfort with performing a basic clinical examination, this model shows promise for further use in other institutions.

Evaluation of an oral health education session for Early Head Start home visitors.

Home visiting programs promote the education and health of Early Head Start (EHS) children and pregnant women. However, EHS's oral health component is unevenly implemented. We conducted an educational intervention to improve oral health knowledge and motivational interviewing techniques among Wisconsin EHS home visitors. A questionnaire assessing oral health-related knowledge and confidence was administered to home visitors before and after an educational session. Changes between pre/post-responses were analyzed with McNemar's test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. After the intervention there were increases in both knowledge and confidence related to oral health communication. Knowledge increases were observed in such topics as fluoridation, dental caries, and caregivers' role in assisting and supervising children's tooth brushing. A brief educational intervention was associated with increased home visitor knowledge and confidence in communicating oral health messages to EHS caregivers and pregnant women.

Teeth Tales: a community-based child oral health promotion trial with migrant families in Australia

ObjectivesThe Teeth Tales trial aimed to establish a model for child oral health promotion for culturally diverse communities in Australia.DesignAn exploratory trial implementing a community-based child oral health promotion intervention...

Association of a visual oral health literacy instrument with perceived and clinical oral health status in Japanese adolescents

A visual oral health literacy instrument is a newly developed tool to assess health literacy level in dentistry. To use the visual oral health literacy instrument effectively, it is essential to understand how the instrument is associated with the subjects’ perceived and clinical oral health status. The purpose of this study was to examine which factor of subjects’ perceived and clinical oral health status affected the visual oral health literacy instrument. A self-administered questionnaire inquiring about concern about teeth and gums, self-rated oral health and oral observation, as well as a mouth drawing as a visual oral health literacy instrument were evaluated in 162 Grade 1 Japanese senior high school students. Students were instructed to freely draw a picture of their anterior teeth and gingiva while observing their mouth with a hand mirror. Mouth drawings were performed before (first) and after (second) an oral health education session. Drawing scores were calculated for both tooth and gingival aspects. In female subjects, those who observed their mouth every day had a significantly higher first tooth-recognition score than those who did not (p < 0.05). First and second gingival-recognition scores were significantly related with clinical gingival condition (p < 0.05). Subjects who observed their mouth daily and those who had occlusal or gingival problems significantly improved their second drawing scores (p < 0.05). The changes of oral health literacy had an association with their oral observation habit and actual oral health status. Therefore, it is necessary to provide self-related oral health education in order for students to correctly understand their own oral health status.

An exploratory trial implementing a community-based child oral health promotion intervention for Australian families from refugee and migrant backgrounds: a protocol paper for Teeth Tales

IntroductionInequalities are evident in early childhood caries rates with the socially disadvantaged experiencing greater burden of disease. This study builds on formative qualitative research, conducted in the Moreland/Hume local government...

Motivational interviewing in an oral health promotion programme

This was a randomised controlled trial (RCT). From a group of patients with mental health problems participants in the motivational interviewing (MI) arm received a brief MI session (15-20 min) conducted by a doctoral psychology student trained in MI, prior to an oral health education session which was focused on exploring advantages and disadvantages, motivation and confidence, and personal values related to daily toothbrushing and oral health. All participants received two pamphlets summarising the information from the education session, instruction in using a mechanical toothbrush, a reminder system, and weekly telephone calls (for 4 weeks). Plaque scores, oral health knowledge and self-regulation were assessed at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks. Sixty participants consented, and 56 (93%) completed the study. Those who did not complete the study discontinued for personal reasons (eg, moving, hospitalisation). Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed improvement (P <0.05) in plaque levels, autonomous regulation and oral health knowledge over time for both groups. Individuals receiving MI improved significantly more, however, compared with people receiving oral health education alone. Results suggest that MI is effective at enhancing short-term oral health behaviour change for people with severe mental illness and may be useful for the general population.

Effectiveness of an oral health education and caries prevention program in kindergartens in China

To evaluate the effect of a 2-year oral health education and caries prevention program implemented in kindergartens in China. Seven hundred and thirty-one 3-year-old children were recruited from 10 kindergartens in Miyun County, Beijing, China. The kindergartens were randomly divided into two groups. Oral health education was provided to teachers in the test kindergartens every 3 months. Oral health education sessions were conducted for the test children monthly and for their parents semiannually. Children in the test kindergarten brushed their teeth twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste (1100 ppm F-) in their kindergarten under the supervision of teachers during weekdays. No oral health education session and no supervised tooth brushing activities were carried out in the control kindergartens. A clinical examination of the study children and a questionnaire survey of their parents were conducted at baseline and after a 2-year program. Five hundred and fourteen children remained in the study after 2 years. The mean caries increments of the test group (n = 258) and the control group (n = 256) were 2.47 and 3.56 dmfs, respectively. The reduction in dmfs increment was 30.6% (P = 0.009). At the evaluation, a significantly higher percentage of children in the test group than in the control group reported brushing their teeth twice a day (87.6% vs. 69.0%; P < 0.001). Parents of children in the test group had better oral health knowledge and attitude than the parents of children in the control group. This oral health education program was effective in establishing good oral health habits among preschool children and in increasing oral health knowledge of their parents, in conjunction with supervised daily tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, which could reduce the development of new dental caries in preschool children in China.

Arresting dentine caries in Chinese preschool children.

To investigate the incidence of rehardening of caries lesions in children in Southern China taking part in a preventive programme. Longitudinal study. A prevention programme was established for 168 3-6-year-old children in a kindergarten (KG1), which included regular oral health education sessions and a daily toothbrushing exercise using fluoridated toothpaste (1000 ppm F). A group of 121 children studying in two other kindergartens without a preventive programme formed the controls. Due to lack of resources and dental personnel, restorative and other curative treatments were not provided. Rehardening of dentine caries (arrested caries) was found in children in both test and control groups. At the third annual examination, 45% of the caries lesions on the proximal surfaces of primary anterior teeth in KG1 children found at the baseline and previous annual examinations had become arrested. A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that baseline ds score and its interactions with the prevention programme, gender and the child's oral hygiene all had significant effect on the number of tooth surfaces with arrested caries at the third annual examination. Results from this study support the use of simple prevention programmes to stabilize the caries situation in communities where intensive use of trained dental personnel is not feasible.