title: Dental knowledge and attitudes among Arab schoolteachers in northern Israel.
abstract: A representative random sample of 597 Arab school-teachers in northern Israel, was surveyed regarding sources and levels of knowledge and attitudes about dental caries prevention. Data were measured according to a self-administered questionnaire from a 91.4 per cent response rate. When ranking the effectiveness of different caries preventive measures teachers on average listed optimal water fluoridation as a lower priority compared to toothbrushing, dental visits, fluoride mouthrinses and eating fewer sweet products. Placing of fissure sealants was ranked as the second least effective caries preventive measure, with 39.6 per cent not knowing the effectiveness. Only 68.5 per cent of the school-teachers were aware of the anti-bacterial role of fluoride, and only a small minority knew of fluoride's potential in healing incipient caries. Teachers seemed less motivated to being involved in dental health school programmes which involved dedicating school time and their active involvement, such as fissure sealant programmes at school, supervision of brushing and flossing, and school mouthrinsing programmes. They revealed positive attitudes towards: informing parents about the importance of oral hygiene and teaching children about preventive dentistry. Teachers' main reported source of knowledge was the dental office. It is the responsibility of the dental profession to ensure that updated knowledge is correctly conveyed to schoolteachers, who are an important and potentially influential sector of dental health consumers and health education agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Hebrew University-Hadassah, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Sgan-Cohen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saadi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010290:Parents; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012571:School Dentistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D014089:Tooth Remineralization; D014099:Toothbrushing
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D009067:Mouthwashes; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D005459:Fluorides