Health Education Promotes Knowledge and Practices of Oral Health among Schoolchildren

Background: During the past decades many industrialized countries have experienced a dramatic decline in dental caries prevalence among children. The reasons behind the improved oral conditions include but not limited to improved oral hygiene practices, fluoridated toothpastes, and effective oral health programs beside establishment of school-based health education programs. Consequently the oral and dental health knowledge increased and the attitude of children and their parent was changed. Health education is defined as the principles that people follow and behave in a manner that promotes, maintains and/or restores health. Objective: The present study was carried out among school age children in Najran Saudi Arabia to assess the impact of health education program on promoting knowledge and practices among those students towards dental caries. Material & Methods: This is school-based interventional study that has been undertaken in Najran city during the period of October 2013 to May 2014. A multistage random sample technique was used to obtain a total sample of 288 students from 3 different public primary schools for girls in Najran. Subjects were grouped into three groups according to their schools. The principal method of data collection was a semi structured, open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of two parts that were personal data and some questions to be answered by the students. Also a clinical examination guided by the DMFT index (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth index) was carried by a dentist. Thereafter a medical specialist gave the students an education health program about the importance of oral health and its role in maintaining the integrity of the teeth. The questionnaire was offered to the students once more to evaluate the effects of the health education program. Results: Two hundred nine students out of 288 students examined had unhealthy teeth (prevalence rate of 72.57%) and DMFT mean of the surveyed subjects was 0.73. Sixteen percent of the examined students didn't know the causes of dental caries. Seventy percent of the respondents have no idea about fluoridated toothpaste. The study also revealed that 37% of the students get their knowledge about oral issues from their parents. The parents' education did not influence (p>0.05) the incidence of dental caries. Ninety percent of students with dental problems have positive family history of dental caries. After conducting the health education program all students become aware of the causes of dental caries and their knowledge was significantly (p<0.01) improved. Also the students' knowledge about fluorinated toothpastes and their importance in combating dental caries was significantly (p<0.01) increased. Furthermore DMF index declined to 0.7. Conclusion & Recommendation: Dental caries prevails among school age students and hereditary is a major predisposing factor that aggravates the situation. The Saudi students' knowledge about the oral health is very poor and they only get it from illiterate parents. Thus this study places extra emphasis on dental education programs implementation in primary schools to reduce dental caries among students. Since most of students' parents are illiterates dental caries preventive strategies; like offering teeth brushing classes before starting the regular classes as well as endorsement of sustainable health education programs in cooperation between education and medical authorities; must be thought-out and implemented in Najran area.