[The effect of oral health education on oral health in kindergarten children].
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to investigate the effects of oral health education on kindergarten children.


METHODS
The study was designed as a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group pre -post test design. Data was collected from April 1st to November 30th, 2001. The total samples were sixty seven healthy kindergarten children; the experiment group consisted of thirty three and the control group was thirty four children. The experimental group received an oral health education program daily for 20 minutes for four weeks.


RESULTS
There was significant improvements on oral health behavior in the experimental group. Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli of the salivary variables in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group. The dmft was lower in the experimental group than the control group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. However it was significantly lower in the experimental group than control group over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral health education for kindergarten children showed an increase in the use of tooth paste and practicing correct tooth brush usage. Also, it decreased the rate of eating cariogenic food and had a positive effect on oral health through suppressing dental cavities.
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Korea. b-s-song@hanmail.net
Byung-Sun
BS
Song
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene