A Model-based Health Education Program to Improve Oral Health in School Going Children

Oral health problems especially dental carries are common in school children and education programs may help to prevent these conditions. The aim of current study was to investigate how an education program based on health belief model (HBM) may improve oral health status of the elementary school children. One hundred twelve 6-12 year children along with one of their parents assigned into trial and control groups using a randomized controlled trial. For trial group 5 education sessions based on HBM were held, whereas control group only received routine education program delivered by the dental clinic. Decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) score, papillary bleeding index, and HBM questionnaire for oral were used for evaluation of the program. Three month after the intervention reassessment was performed and the changes were measured by student t test as well as analysis of covariance test.