Health education program in knowledge, attitude and practice among primary school students towards dental caries in Najran - Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Background: Health education program about dental health is one of the reasons behind the declining of dental caries’ rates in many industrialized countries. Other reasons include consumption of fluoridated toothpastes, effective and accessible oral health services. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of health education program in knowledge, attitudes and practice towards dental caries among school children during the period from 2013- 2016. Material & Methods: School-based interventional study design was adopted. A systemic random sample technique was used to obtain sample of 288 students from 3 different public primary schools for girls. The principal method of data collection was a semi structured questionnaire beside clinical examination that guided by DMFT index. Results: The result shows that 209 students out of 288 have dental caries (a rate of 72.57%). DMFT mean of the surveyed subjects was 0.73. Around 16% of the examined students didn't know the causes of dental caries. The study also revealed that 37% of the students get their knowledge about oral issues from their parents. 90% of students with dental problems have positive family history. After conducting the health education program the students’ knowledge was significantly (p< 0.01) improved about fluoridated toothpastes, hygiene practices and the importance of visiting dentists was significantly (p< 0.01) increased. Conclusion: Poor oral hygiene practices, lack of parental guidance, hereditary factor together with lack of appropriate dental knowledge and frequent exposure to cariogenic foods are the main risk factors for dental decay among the surveyed students. ‘ Recommendation: Extra emphasis on dental health education programs in cooperation between education and medical authorities should be considered and implemented in Najran area.