title: Effects of conventional vs game-based oral health education on children's oral health-related knowledge and oral hygiene status - a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of conventional and game-based oral health education on the oral health-related knowledge and oral hygiene status among 5- to 10-year-old schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 children aged 5 to 10 years were divided into 2 groups. Each group had 30 children aged 5 to 7 years and 30 children aged 8 to 10 years. A pretest evaluation of their knowledge regarding oral health and the estimation of Debris Index-Simplified (DI-S) was carried out. Children in group A were given oral health education through flash cards once daily for 7 days. Children in group B were educated through the play method (i.e. snakes and ladders game combined with flash cards). The evaluations regarding oral hygiene and DI-S were recorded on post-intervention day 1 and 3 months after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group B, high knowledge scores of 14.6 and 14.47 were obtained by the 5- to 7-year-olds and 8- to 10-yearolds, respectively, on post-intervention day 1. The lowest mean percentage difference of 8.9 was seen in 5- to 7-yearold children of group A after 3 months. In group B (5-7 and 8-10) and group A (8-10) there was a significant increase in good oral hygiene scores and a significant decrease in fair and poor debris scores on post-intervention day 1 and at the 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge scores of both the younger and older groups of children increased considerably when the game-based teaching intervention was used. Hence, it can be an effective aid for teaching basic oral health concepts to children.
authors.forename: Uma N
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Maheswari
authors.forename: Sharath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asokan
authors.forename: Sureetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asokan
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kumaran
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004032:Diet; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014099:Toothbrushing