Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practice for Public Primary School Teachers in the City of Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: School teachers can play an important role in helping to instill good health habits in their students. Consequently, teachers need to have an adequate knowledge and a proper attitude regarding oral health.
 Method and Materials: This is a cross sectional study conducted among public primary school teachers in Al-Madinah city. A questionnaire was distributed in 10 randomly selected schools. All teachers were asked to participate. Data was analyzed using SPSS software.
 Results: 200 teachers were asked to participate all of them responded. 81% of the teachers were aware that caries are caused by bacteria in the oral cavity. 69.5% of teachers thinks that fluorides strength teeth. 44.5 % of the teachers brushed their teeth twice a day. Only 15% of the teachers regularly discuss oral health topics with their students. 74.5% of them think that it is necessary to treat tooth caries in primary teeth. 70.5% think that dental health education should be included in the primary school curriculum. 64% of them believed that schools should restrict the consumption of caries causing snacks during school hours.
 Conclusion: Teachers’ knowledge regarding oral health needs improvement. Their own oral health practices are fair; however, their attitude towards oral health is very positive.