Conocimientos sobre salud bucodental y evaluación de higiene oral antes y después de una intervención educativa en niños de 9-10 años

Abstract

Introduction: Children's oral health is an essential target for public health policies. The aim of this study is to analyze the oral health knowledge and the quality of oral hygiene before and after an educational intervention. Material and Methods: Primary school fifty children aged 9 and 10 were included in the study. They conducted a survey on oral health before and after an intervention including three educational workshops. Oral hygiene O'Leary index was evaluated before and after the intervention. Results: In the survey conducted before the intervention, 78% said they knew what tooth decay was and how they could prevent it. In contrast, 60% answered that they only had to go to the dentist just when an oral problem appeared. Before the educational intervention, 80% of children had an O ́Leary index above 20%. After the educational intervention, significant changes were obtained for knowledge about oral health and the quality of brushing. Conclusions: The children knowledge about oral health and the quality of tooth brushing improved significantly after the educational intervention.