title: Effects of an oral health education program targeting oral malodor prevention in Japanese senior high school students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research has suggested that oral malodor could be a useful motivational tool for increasing the awareness of oral health in adolescents and improving their oral health behaviors. Hence, the aims of this research were: (1) to develop an oral health education program that included oral malodor prevention and (2) to test the effects of the program in Japanese senior high school students by comparing the changes of oral health outcomes between the intervention and control groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 163 Grade 1 and 135 Grade 2 senior high school students in Tokyo, Japan. A novel oral health education program, which incorporated prevention of oral malodor, was developed and conducted on all Grade 1 students (intervention group). Grade 2 students (control group) did not receive the program. Changes in oral health status from baseline to 1-year follow-up were compared between the intervention and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention group, compared with the control group, had a significantly higher proportion of students who improved or maintained good oral health status (i.e. dental plaque, gingivitis, tongue coating and oral malodor). Among students in the intervention group, the change was more evident in subjects with detectable oral malodor at the commencement of the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An oral health education program focusing on the prevention of oral malodor is effective for promoting oral health among Japanese senior high school students. Therefore, embedding such a program in the school oral health curriculum would be beneficial for adolescents.
authors: Department of Oral Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. ueno.ohp@tmd.ac.jp
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Ueno
authors: Kayoko
authors: K
authors: Shinada
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Zaitsu
authors: Sayaka
authors: S
authors: Yokoyama
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Kawaguchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018441:Biofilms; D004245:DMF Index; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000145:classification; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000517:prevention & control; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006209:Halitosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012571:School Dentistry; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology