A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE “TOOTHKEEPER ” AND A TRADITIONAL DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

The need for evaluation of dental programs has long been recognized and was rein-forced recently by a plea for critical, clinical evaluation of programs of preventive dentistry and health education made by the Research Committee of the American Association of Public Health Dentists in San Francisco in 1972.13 The weight of logic supports con-ducting dental health programs in schools. As early a t least as 1942 the school teacher, trained in educational skills, has been considered the most appropriate person to provide dental health education to children.10 Because virtually all children attend school, in con-trast to the proportion of school age children who visit a dental office with any regularity, the classroom is considered by far the more adequate setting in which t o present a dental health education program.3 It is now rather well established that programs or procedures which are successful in controlling dental plaque will be effective in reducing gingival i n f l a m m a t i ~ n. ’. ~ , ~ J ~ Thus, the combination of capable teachers, the school setting, and an effective dental health program should reduce dental disease, a t least gingival inflamma-tion. A vast array of school dental health programs has been promoted over the years, but all-too-often with little or no evaluation of their effectiveness. 4. 1