Implementation of Game-based Oral Health Education vs Conventional Oral Health Education on Children\'s Oral Health-related Knowledge and Oral Hygiene Status

Abstract

Introduction For the prevention of oral health problems, health education of schoolchildren has a vital role. The oral health status of the children can be improved if health promotion in schools is conducted in a comprehensive and interesting mannerObjective Effectivity of game-based oral health education over conventional on the oral health-related knowledge and oral hygiene status among 8- to 12-year-old schoolchildren.Materials and methods A total of 150 children aged 8 to 12 years were divided into two groups. A pretest evaluation of their knowledge regarding oral health and the estimation of plaque index was carried out. Children in group I were given oral health education through PowerPoint presentation once daily for 7 days. Children in group II were educated through the play method (i.e., crosswords and quiz with PowerPoint presentation). The evaluations regarding oral health-related knowledge and plaque scores were recorded on postintervention 1 and 3 months.Results In group II, high knowledge scores of 10.32 and 9.98 were obtained by the on postintervention 1 and 3 months respectively. In both the groups, there was a significant increase in good oral hygiene scores and a significant decrease in plaque scores on postintervention 1 and 3 months follow-up, but much better scores were seen in group II compared to group I at both the follow-ups.Conclusion Implementation of crossword game-based oral health education program is an easy and effective aid for teaching oral health instructions and preventing oral diseases in children as the knowledge scores of children increased considerably when the game-based teaching intervention was used.How to cite this article Malik A, Sabharwal S, Kumar A, Samant PS, Singh A, Pandey VK. Implementation of Game-based Oral Health Education vs Conventional Oral Health Education on Children’s Oral Health-related Knowledge and Oral Hygiene Status. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(3):257-260.

Effectiveness of a Visual Interactive Game on Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Practices, and Clinical Parameters among Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…These findings were in accordance with previous studies by Kashyap et al [ 10 ], which showed that game-based education (i.e., crosswords and quiz with a PowerPoint presentation) proved very effective in improving oral health knowledge. Our findings are in accordance with those of Sharma et al [ 19 ], Malik et al [ 3 ], and Maheswari et al [ 20 ], who used game-based OHE to improve knowledge, health behaviour, and practices. The studies by Sinor et al [ 8 ] and Anwar et al [ 25 ] also reported that a cartoon-animated audiovisual aid significantly promoted knowledge regarding oral hygiene maintenance, in comparison to those who attended the conventional oral health talk.…”

“…Improved plaque scores were sustained over a three month period, proving that the effects of the IGVP learning technique persisted over time. This finding agreed with studies conducted by Kashyap et al [ 10 ] and Malik et al [ 3 ], which showed that implementing crossword and quiz game-based OHE programmes resulted in a significant decrease in plaque scores. Similarly, Aljafari et al [ 28 ] reported that implementing video game-based OHE programmes resulted in a significant decrease in plaque scores.…”

“…Studies have demonstrated that cartoon-animated audiovisual aids and game-based education implemented for schoolchildren are powerful tools for educating and providing thought-stimulating methods of learning [ 16 , 17 ]. The use of fun-based learning interventions (connect the dots games [ 1 , 18 ], crosswords and quizzes [ 3 ], flashcards [ 1 ], snakes and ladders [ 19 , 20 ], augmented reality board games [ 21 ], video games [ 22 , 23 ], smartphone oral hygiene applications [ 24 ], and animated audiovisual resources [ 25 ]) have been suggested to be a perfect motivating tool to encourage children to take part in self-care activities. The use of gaming in OHE can be a good alternative for educating basic health concepts, thereby, strengthening cognitive development and confidence [ 26 ].…”

“…Setting up oral health education (OHE) programs in schools is important to implement adaptive changes and improve oral health. School days are the formative stages for a child, to transform both physically and mentally into a promising adult [ 3 ]. School is the most suitable habitat for the implementation of health education programmes, because it serves as a platform to encourage healthy self-care practices in a large group of children.…”

Active Participation in Oral Health Education Improves Knowledge Among Children 3-5 Years of Age

“…Among the studies included in that review, it is unclear if oral health education by itself lead to improved knowledge or if it was the combination of oral health education with supervised tooth brushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste and the involvement of caregivers. Among children younger than 6 years improved knowledge following oral health education using age-appropriate materials was observed in few studies where shows and games helped retain oral health information better than the traditional didactic approach [24,25].…”