title: School-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Children's Oral Health-Related Knowledge.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a brief oral health promotion intervention delivered in schools by a primary care dental practice, aimed at changing oral health care knowledge and oral health-related behaviors in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study with pretest-posttest design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three primary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty children (aged 9-12 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Children received a 60-minute theory-driven classroom-based interactive educational session delivered by a dental care professional and received take-home literature on oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  All children completed a questionnaire on oral health-related knowledge and self-reported oral health-related behaviors before, immediately after, and 6 weeks following the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children's dental knowledge significantly improved following the intervention, with improvement evident at immediate follow-up and maintained 6 weeks later. Significantly more children reported using dental floss 6 weeks after the intervention compared with baseline. No significant differences were detected in toothbrushing or dietary behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School-based preventative oral health education delivered by primary care dental practices can generate short-term improvements in children's knowledge of oral health and some aspects of oral hygiene behavior. Future research should engage parents/carers and include objective clinical and behavioral outcomes in controlled study designs.
authors.affiliation: University of Nottingham School of Health Sciences, Nottingham, UK holly.blake@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: Hafren House Dental Practice, Alfreton, Derbyshire, UK.
authors.forename: Bhupinder
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dawett
authors.affiliation: University of Nottingham, Division of Primary Care, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.affiliation: Hafren House Dental Practice, Alfreton, Derbyshire, UK.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rose-Brady
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deery
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents; D011313:Preventive Dentistry; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: children; oral health education; primary care dentist; schools