School-based Oral Health Education Research Articles

Oral health care knowledge and practices of a group of deaf adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria.

This study sought to determine the oral health care knowledge and practices of a group of deaf adolescents in Lagos. The study involved 50 students of Wesley School 1 for the Deaf, Lagos (26 males and 24 females, aged 10-19 years, mean 13.3 +/- 2.8). Information about previous dental care, oral hygiene, and snacking habits were obtained through a questionnaire and sign language by the teachers. Only 12 percent of pupils had received dental care. Eight percent and 72 percent, respectively, gave correct answers to causes of tooth decay and bleeding gums. Ninety-four percent brushed their teeth once daily, with no significant sex difference (P > .05). Reported dental problems include bleeding gums (36%), tooth discoloration, and tooth decay. The majority of pupils (60%) preferred biscuits and soft drinks as snacks. More than 90 percent were willing to have a dental check-up. The oral health knowledge and practices of this group of children will improve through a controlled school-based oral health education program.

Oral health knowledge and dental health practices among schoolchildren in Jerash district/Jordan

This study aims at determining the oral health awareness level, the patterns of dental health practices and their potential relationship with certain socio-demographic factors, including gender (sex), mother's education and the socio-economic status of the family, among 14-15-year-old schoolchildren in Jerash Governorate, Northern Jordan. Cross-sectional survey including 1362 public schoolchildren, who completed a self-administered structured questionnaire. Overall, the level of oral health knowledge among the surveyed children was low. Of the 1362 schoolchildren included in this survey, only 18 and 17% did know the meaning of plaque and what plaque can cause, respectively. Female performance was significantly better than male performance on two of the six knowledge questions (P < 0.01). While 17% of children have never been to the dentist, there are 10% only who visit the dentist on regular basis. The majority (56%) of these pupils said they visit the dentist when there is a serious dental or oral health problem. Fear of the dentist and difficulty in obtaining an appointment with the dentist were the causes of irregular visit to the dental clinic in 28 and 19% of the cases, respectively. Results of this study prove that oral health awareness level among public schoolchildren in Jordan is still poor and needs to be improved. Based upon these findings, the establishment of a long-term school-based oral health education programme in Jordan is highly recommended.

Effect of a school-based oral health education programme in Wuhan City, Peoples Republic of China

To assess oral health outcomes of a school-based oral health education (OHE) programme on children, mothers and schoolteachers in China, and to evaluate the methods applied and materials used. The WHO Health Promoting Schools Project applied to primary schoolchildren in 3 experimental and 3 control schools in Hongshan District, Wuhan City, Central China, with a 3-year follow-up. Data on dental caries, gingival bleeding and behaviour were collected. 803 children and their mothers, and 369 teachers were included at baseline in 1998. After three years, 666 children and their mothers (response rate 83%), and 347 teachers (response rate 94%) remained. DMFT/DMFS increments were comparable but the f/F components were higher among children in experimental schools than in control schools and the gingival bleeding score was, similarly, significantly lower. More children in experimental schools adopted regular oral health behaviour such as toothbrushing, recent dental visits, use of fluoride toothpaste, with less frequent consumption of cakes/biscuits compared to controls. In experimental schools, mothers showed significant beneficial oral health developments, while teachers showed higher oral health knowledge and more positive attitudes, also being satisfied with training workshops, methods applied, materials used and involvement with children in OHE. The programme had positive effects on gingival bleeding score and oral health behaviour of children, and on oral health knowledge and attitudes of mothers and teachers. No positive effect on dental caries incidence rate was demonstrated by the OHE programme.

Effectiveness of primary school-based oral health education in West Java, Indonesia

A study in West Java has indicated that involvement of primary health care personnel and schoolteachers in oral health education (OHE) at primary schools is a feasible approach that is sustainable. The present study aims to assess the effects of that school-based OHE programme on pupils who had completed the programme one and a half years ago. Eight experimental and six control primary schools in the same area participated in the study. Out of each school 10 children, aged 8-12-years old, were randomly selected. ANOVA with age and gender as co-variables showed statistically significantly lower (21%) habitual plaque scores among children from experimental schools as compared to those from control schools. Tooth brushing effectiveness had significantly improved among experimental children and they took longer for tooth brushing when supervised. The dmft/dmfs values were comparable but the DMFT/DMFS values of children from experimental schools tended to be lower (not statistically significant) than of those from control schools. Differences in oral health knowledge were apparent but self-reported habits pertaining to oral health were comparable between children from experimental and control schools. This school-based OHE programme had a moderate positive effect on oral health knowledge and on habitual plaque levels and on the effectiveness of tooth brushing. The effects on caries levels and on self-reported behaviour were inconclusive.

Carbamide-containing polyol chewing gum and prevention of dental caries in schoolchildren in Madagascar

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect on dental caries experience of using carbamide polyol chewing gum as a supplement to standard oral hygiene procedures for schoolchildren in a developing country (Madagascar). In 1994, grades 1 and 4 children of demonstration schools were allocated to experimental and control groups; all children participated in a school-based oral health education programme, including daily toothbrushing supervised by the classroom teacher. At grade 1, the test group (n = 125) also used chewing gum (V6: 55.5 per cent sorbitol, 4.3 per cent xylitol, 2 per cent carbamide) three times a day. At grade 4, one test group (n = 177) had chewing gum three times a day and an additional test group (n = 74) had chewing gum five times a day. The control groups included 117 children at grade 1 and 209 at grade 4. Dental caries was registered in 1994 and 1997 according to the Recording System for the Danish Child Dental Services. In grade 1 children, the preventive effect of the total DMFS was not statistically significant except for occlusal caries (-0.65 DMFS, P < 0.01). In the grade 4 test groups, non-significant reductions of dental caries experience were found when compared with controls. The present community trial indicates that the use of polyol chewing gum may be considered a supplement to the control of occlusal dental caries in young primary schoolchildren, particularly in developing countries with limited resources for dental care.

Effect evaluation of an oral health education programme in primary schools in Tanzania.

This study aimed to assess the clinical oral health outcome effects among schoolchildren participating in a school-based oral health education (OHE) programme. Local social, cultural and environmental conditions were determinants of the school-based OHE programme, which was compiled on the basis of prevailing beliefs and on what teachers and educational authorities considered to be important for the oral health of schoolchildren. Consequently, the practical aspects of oral hygiene and information on the cause and prevention of caries and gingivitis were the components of oral health education. The teachers were prepared to carry out weekly supervised toothbrushing sessions and monthly lessons on aspects of oral health for the school year in grade 4. Eight participating schools were selected for the clinical effect evaluation and four non-participating schools served as the control. In total, 309 children from the participating schools and 122 children from the non-participating schools were available for the evaluation. Their ages varied between 9 and 14 years. The mean plaque score, calculus score and gingival bleeding score at baseline and at follow-up examinations 3, 8, 15 and 36 months later were not significantly different for participating schools and controls. The mean DMFT value at baseline was 0.4 and 3 years later 0.9 in both the participating and control schools. In conclusion, the present study shows that the implemented school-based OHE programme did not result in significant reductions of the clinical parameters measured.