Analysis of Oral Health Education in the Public Schools

The purpose of this study was to appraise the effectiveness of an oral health education program in changing oral health behavior and knowledge of fourth grade students. The specific purpose was to determine if the American Dental Association\u27s oral health program, Learning About Your Oral Health: Level II, was superior to traditional oral health instruction in terms of (1) changes in oral health behavior; (2) changes in knowledge toward oral health practices; (3) effects of a weekly fluoride mouthrinse on oral health behavior and knowledge as compared to those not using a fluoride mouthrinse. In this experiment all subjects were pretested to establish baselines of oral health behavior and knowledge of students. Two groups of students were exposed to oral health instruction employing the experimental oral health education program. Two other groups of subjects were exposed to oral health instruction employing the traditional approach to oral health education. A weekly fluoride mouthrinse was used by one of the groups exposed to the experimental oral health education program. A weekly fluoride mouthrinse was used by one of the groups exposed to the traditional approach to oral health education. Following an instructional period of ten classroom hours, all groups were post-tested. The post-test served to identify the effect of instruction on the oral health behavior and knowledge. The data were subjected to the t-test to determine the effectiveness of each method of instruction. Also, the t-test was employed to determine the comparative effectiveness of the two methods of oral health instruction and to determine the comparative effectiveness of the fluoride mouthrinse. From the results of the study, through an analysis of the data, these conclusions were made: 1. The American Dental Association\u27s oral health education program was effective in improving oral health behavior. Also, the American Dental Association\u27s program more favorably influenced oral health behavior than did the traditional approach to oral health education. 2. This experimental oral health education program effected favorable changes in oral health knowledge. Also, this oral health education program more favorably influenced oral health knowledge than did the traditional approach to oral health education. 3. There was no difference in the improvement of oral health behavior and knowledge of subjects employing the experimental education and using the fluoride mouthrinse and of the subjects employing the experimental education and no fluoride mouthrinse. 4. The experimental oral health education program and the weekly fluoride mouthrinse favorably effected changes in oral health knowledge as compared to the traditional approach to oral health education and the weekly fluoride mouthrinse. 5. The data did not suggest that the American Dental Association\u27s oral health education program and the weekly fluoride mouthrinse program were effective in significantly improving the oral health behavior as compared to the traditional approach to oral health education and the weekly fluoride mouthrinse program. However, the American Dental Association\u27s program was approaching the significance level. The computed t value, comparing the educational program along with the fluoride mouthrinse program, was 1.994 and the critical value of t was 2.000 at the .05 level of confidence