The Rural Dental Health Program: The Long-Range Effect of a School-Based Enriched Dental Health Program on Children's Oral Health

Health education is a key element in health promotion and requires strong planning based on theories of medical behavior. The study was conducted over a period of three years, January 2015 - December 2017, by means of an 11 items questionnaire anonymous applied to dentists or medical staff. Seven questions were multiple choice to allow a broader discussion of the results and the rest were one answer. The time of dental practitioners is limited, so their view of the duration of a possible dental health program is essential. Hours per week volunteered, vary from one doctor to another: from 1-3 hours or less to 3-5 hours or as needed. Assessing the willingness to engage (82%) and the time allocated to the dentists surveyed (44% between 1 and 3 hours per week and 51% over 3 hours per week), we can say that we have human resources for implementing an oral health project. The workforce in the field of oral health would like to be involved in such a program and believes that it could benefit from such a program and the construction of appropriate working mechanisms, especially designed for different regions, rural areas and diverse demographic of social categories.

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Long-Term Effects of School-Based Oral Health Program on Oral Health Knowledge and Practices and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Medical Principles and Practice ◽

10.1159/000430096 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 362-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Aishah Alsumait ◽

Mohamed ElSalhy ◽

Maryam Amin

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Health Program ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Oral Health Knowledge ◽

School Based ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

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The impact of a school-based tooth-brushing program on dental caries: a cross-sectional study

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12199-019-0832-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuri Tashiro ◽

Keiko Nakamura ◽

Kaoruko Seino ◽

Shiro Ochi ◽

Hiroshi Ishii ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Dental Caries ◽

School Environment ◽

Tooth Brushing ◽

Permanent Teeth ◽

Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽

School Based ◽

The Impact ◽

5Th Grade ◽

Children’S Oral Health

Abstract Background Promotion of oral health in children is recognized as one of the components of health-promoting schools (HPSs). However, few studies have addressed supportive school environments for children’s oral health. This study aimed to evaluate the status of dental caries in school children at HPSs, with the objective of examining the impact of a supportive school environment for oral health, considering the lifestyles of individual children and the socioeconomic characteristics of their communities. Methods Data of 2043 5th-grade students in 21 elementary schools in Ichikawa city between 2008 and 2013 were analyzed. Children’s oral health status was evaluated using the decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) index. A self-reported lifestyle questionnaire, a survey of the school environment promoting tooth-brushing, and community socioeconomic characteristics derived from the National Census data were included in the analyses. Bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the children’s DMFT status, and zero-inflated negative binominal (ZINB) regression was used to assess the relationships between DMFT and other variables. Results Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent teeth of 5th-grade children (aged 10–11 years) was 33.3%, with a mean DMFT score (± SD) of 0.83 ± 1.50. According to multilevel ZINB regression analysis, children from schools with after-lunch tooth-brushing time showed a higher odds ratio (OR) for excess zero DMFT (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.00–2.15, P = 0.049) as compared to those from schools without it. Neither bivariate analysis nor ZINB model analysis revealed any significant influence of children’s gender or use of a toothpaste with fluoride. Conclusions The school-based environment supportive of oral health was significantly associated with a zero DMFT status in children. School-based efforts considering the socioeconomic characteristics of the area warrant attention even with declining prevalence of dental caries.

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