title: Oral hygiene knowledge of high-risk Grade One children: an evaluation of two methods of dental health education.
abstract: The effectiveness of two methods of dental health education (DHE) for improving oral hygiene knowledge among high-risk Grade One students was evaluated. Fifty elementary schools in the former City of North York, Canada were assigned to one of two groups. In one group, students received a classroom-based DHE lesson which was reinforced by two small-group sessions (n=243). In the other group, students received only a single classroom-based DHE lesson (n=206). After DHE interventions, students in both groups displayed improved knowledge for most oral hygiene questions (e.g., when should you throw your toothbrush away?). However, for several questions, a significantly higher proportion of "classroom plus small-group sessions" students displayed improved knowledge compared to students receiving only a classroom lesson. These items included: awareness that cavity prevention and removal of germs are two purposes of oral hygiene; and knowledge that teeth help people to eat and talk. Results suggest a classroom-based lesson combined with small-group sessions is a more effective method of improving oral hygiene knowledge among high-risk Grade One students compared to a single classroom-based lesson.
authors.affiliation: Community Dental Health Services Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. robert.hawkins@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jokovic
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Otchere
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Locker
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017144:Focus Groups; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires