Caries, Gingivitis
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this project was to compare the effectiveness of experiential learning (EL) and traditional lecturing (TL) school-based oral health education on the oral health knowledge, attitude, habits, oral hygiene, gingival health and caries incidence of 10 and 13-year-old Greek children. Thee hundred and fifty children were selected from three areas of Greece. Information on oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour were obtained using a questionnaire. Dental plaque was recorded using a modified hygiene index, gingivitis was assessed using the simplified gingival index and dental caries was measured by recording the number of Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth (DMFT) using the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) criteria. All children were examined by two calibrated dentists, using a World Health Organisation (WHO) periodontal probe and artificial light. Questionnaires were delivered and clinical examinations were performed at baseline and at 6 and 18 months post-intervention. The EL oral health educational program was implemented by teachers using the program's manual.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExperiential learning oral health education
Sponsors
Matina Angelopoulou
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
9 Years to 14 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 10 and 13 year-old children * For the EL group, students were recruited from schools that had teachers previously trained in EL * Students recruited for the TL group attended schools of the same geographical location as students in the EL group
Exclusion criteria
* Contributory medical history
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in dental plaque, gingivitis and caries at 6 and 18 months in 350 children | baseline, 6 and 18 months | 350 children were clinically examined and dental plaque, gingivitis and caries were recorded using appropriate indexes. 6 and 18 months later, children were re-examined using the same method to test if there was any change on the dental plaque, gingivitis and caries level and if this change differ significantly between the two different oral health education groups (Experiential learning or Traditional Lecturing). |
Outcome results
None listed