Educative practices and attitudes within the pre-school environment: evaluating the education professionals

Abstract

School and family together play an important role in the individual development of children. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the practices and attitudes towards oral health care of 245 education professionals working in 24 public municipal pre-schools in Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The data were obtained from self-questionnaires consisting of both open and closed questions. The methodology was both quantitative and qualitative, and the quantitative analysis was based on frequency (%). Regarding oral health practices, it was observed that the majority of the education professionals emphasized toothbrushing as a vital method of oral hygiene. In addition, 70.7% of the education professionals performed other types of oral hygiene activities with the schoolchildren, and 17.1% did so with the children's families. All the participants of the study considered that education professionals have a key role in promoting healthy oral habits amongst the schoolchildren and they believe that involving the dentist in educative programs is important. It was therefore concluded that the education professionals surveyed have positive practices and attitudes regarding the children's care, and they recognize their role in fostering healthy habits and developing integrated pedagogic oral health programs.

Early Childhood Caries in 3 to 5 Year Old Children in Trinidad and Tobago

“…There were also very few children who visited a dental professional for assessment unless associated with an acute dental problem. The small number of children who attended for routine dental check-up as well as those who only sought check-up after some history of toothache seems to reinforce a common practice of parents generally only seeking treatment of primary teeth when a child complains of discomfort or pain, since lay people expect the replacement of temporary teeth by the permanent teeth to be a solution [25]. The need for a child’s earlier dental assessment by a professional should be reinforced and encouraged.…”

Oral health outcomes: the association of clinical and socio-dental indicators to evaluate dental caries in preschool children

“…In general, the treatment of deciduous teeth is sought only when a child complains of discomfort or pain, since lay people expect the replacement of temporary teeth by the permanent teeth to be a solution 20 . Thus, studies on caries detection in preschoolers are important for demystifying myths, beliefs, and even cultural habits regarding this oral disease.…”

Traumatic dental injury in permanent teeth: knowledge and management in a group of Brazilian school teachers

“…Less teachers (16.6%) had witnessing a dental trauma in permanent teeth among students. This percentage corresponds to the prevalence of dental trauma Dental trauma: knowledge and management in permanent teeth in Brazilian children aged between 6 and 14 years, and to the prevalence of dental trauma in elementary school education, where the prevalence is 10.5% to 17.3% (22)(23)(24). However, we believe that this percentage probably is higher due to the fact that many teachers only consider a visible dental fracture or loss of the element as dental trauma and do not take into account other types of dental trauma, such as concussion and subluxation.…”