title: Effect of a school-based oral health education programme on use of recommended oral self-care for reducing the risk of caries by children in Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caries is a major oral health problem children with efforts focused on promoting use of caries prevention methods. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of a school-based oral health education programme on use of oral self-care measures for reducing caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured school-based oral health education programme was implemented in six schools in Ile-Ife, Nigeria for 4 years. At the end of the project, information was sought from school children in their last year and final 2 years of studies on the use of fluoridated toothpaste, consumption of sugar-containing snacks more than once a day, frequency of tooth brushing and flossing, and time of the last dental check-up. Predictors of the use of preventive oral health practices for caries were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  School children who received the intervention were more likely to report frequent use of fluoride-containing toothpastes (P < 0.001), more likely to brush twice a day (P = 0.03), less likely to consuming sugar-containing snacks less than once a day (P = 0.03) and less likely to use dental floss once a day (P < 0.001) when compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This long term school based educational programme was able to increase school children's use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and twice daily tooth brushing, which are critical tools for reducing the risk of caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ayodeji
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esan
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.|Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals' Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Morenike Oluwatoyin
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Folayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Grace O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Egbetade
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals' Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Titus Ayodeji
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oyedele
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012648:Self Care