THE EFFECTIVENESS of DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION in CHILDREN ORAL HEALTH

Indonesian children often have oral health disease which related to oral hygiene. Early dental health education (DHE) is preventive and promotive action which can change oral health behavior, particularly to anticipate the occurrence of oral disease. Objectives: to compare the effect of DHE in 4 groups of fourth grade students from four elementary schools in west Jakarta. Methods: Pre-post test randomized control group design with DHE as an intervention. DHE is given to children, teacher and parents (group 1); children and parents (group 2); children and teacher (group 3); children only (group 4) and each group consists of 37 children. The assessment of oral health is done before and after intervention using OHI-S, pH plaque as caries predictor is measured by pH meter. Analysis of covariance test and Tukey were used to assess intervention with highest effect. Result: There was significant difference in oral hygiene between the 4 intervention groups. With Tukey, it was observed that group 4 showed OHI-S decreased on the first month (p=0.001). However, OHI-S returning to initial stage in the second month. From pH plaque, there were significant differences between pH plaque between the 4 intervention groups (p<0.001). Group 1 showed highest pH plaque improvement (5.37±0.12). Conclusions: DHE given to children is more effective to decrease OHI-S in the first month, however, it is returning to initial stage in the second month. Whereas DHE given to children, parents and teacher is effective to improve pH plaque.