School-based oral health-education program using experiential learning or traditional lecturing in adolescents: a clinical trial

Abstract

The aim of this project was to compare the effectiveness of experiential learning (EL) and traditional lecturing (TL) school-based oral health education on the oral health knowledge, attitude, habits, oral hygiene, gingival health and caries incidence of 13-year-old Greek children. Eighty-seven children for the EL group and 80 for the TL group were selected from two areas of Greece. Information on oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviours were obtained using a questionnaire. Dental plaque was recorded using a modified hygiene index, gingivitis was assessed using the simplified gingival index and dental caries was measured by recording the number of Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth (DMFT) using the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) criteria. All children were examined by two calibrated dentists, using a World Health Organisation (WHO) periodontal probe and artificial light. Questionnaires were delivered and clinical examinations were performed at baseline and at 6 and 18 months post-intervention. The EL oral health educational programme was implemented by teachers using the programme's manual. Oral health knowledge had improved significantly (P < 0.001) in both groups at 6 and 18 months post-intervention. Oral health behaviour (P < 0.001) and attitude (P < 0.05) had improved significantly at 6 months, and oral hygiene and gingival health had improved significantly at both 6 (P < 0.001) and 18 (P < 0.05) months for the EL group. Lower caries incidence was recorded for the EL group, 18 months post-intervention (P < 0.05). School-based oral health EL for adolescents was found to be more effective than TL in improving oral health attitude and behaviour at 6 months, in improving oral hygiene and gingival health at both 6 and 18 months and in reducing caries incidence 18 months post-intervention.

Are educating and promoting interventions effective in oral health?: A systematic review

“…We observed in studies of D'Cruz et al, Pakpour et al, Angelopoulou et al, Pakpour et al, Yekaninejad et al and Mbawalla et al that oral health‐educating intervention can be effective in improving the gingival health and reducing plaque levels. D'Cruz et al reported that the mean of plaque index and the gingival index scores was improved after 9 months of intervention in the intervention group compared to the control group.…”

“…Pakpour et al observed that gingival health and dental plaque in loss frame group compared to control group were significantly improved (OR = 0.74, P = .016; OR = 0.60, P = .037) after 24 weeks. Angelopoulou et al reported that gingival health raised significantly at 6‐ ( P < .001) and 18‐ ( P < .05) month experimental learning group. Table represents that some studies suggested interventions based on lecture, demonstration of the toothbrushing, colloquy, classroom‐based session and oral health education curriculum, for target groups of school children.…”

“…Chi et al showed that the knowledge and self‐efficacy of caregivers statistically improved in significant way ( P < .001) after intervention. Angelopoulou et al reported that the difference in oral health knowledge in the intervention group compared to the control group at 3 and 6 months after the intervention was significant ( P < .001). Accordingly, they reported that improving of oral health behaviour among school children was significant at 6 months ( P < .001).…”

Correlaciones entre la condición gingival, prácticas, creencias y modelos de comportamiento de salud oral en estudiantes universitarios de Bogotá, Colombia / Correlation Among Gingival Conditions, Oral Hygiene Practices, Beliefs, and Behavior Models ...

“…El grado de conocimiento acerca de los signos y síntomas de una enfermedad pueden influenciar las posibilidades de controlarla exitosamente. Múltiples referencias en la literatura describen como niños o adolescentes que reciben educación con instrucción personalizada o a través de experiencias ejecutan las actividades de higiene oral con una mayor frecuencia, o tiene valores menores de índices de placa o gingivales (23,24). Es posible que actividades educativas adaptadas a los intereses o prácticas de estos jóvenes estudiantes puedan llevar a una disminución en la ocurrencia de sangrado gingival.…”

History of Orthodontic Treatment, Treatment Needs and Influencing Factors in Adolescents in Croatia

“…Besides, it corroborates the correlation already established (27,28) between mothers' socio-demographic characteristics and successful implementation of positive oral hygiene habits. Henceforth, future public health model should be oriented more toward family and also further developed so as to include more contemporary methods for public dental health education, as suggested in recent studies (29,30). Both fixed and removable orthodontic appliances register increase in bacterial microflora associated with early stages of caries caused by poor dental hygiene (31,32).…”