Effect of Oral and Dental Hygiene Education on the Knowledge of Caries Preventive Behaviors in the Guidance School Students

In dental science, paying attention to prevention and health is prior to treatment. Some studies and researches demonstrated that factors like the lack of information and learning about oral hygiene, the lack of prevention, and patients neglect cause periodontal diseases and dental caries increase. This study was done to assess the effect of oral and dental hygiene education by using the book on the knowledge of caries preventive behaviors in the guidance school students. This analytical study was performed on 150 students of two girl's and boy's guidance schools of Babol town, Iran. At the first, they filled pre-test papers for assessment of their knowledge and then, they used a book about dental health and oral hygiene. After 4 weeks, they filled again the same papers as post-test. So the level of their knowledge was measured (in the form of a test) and compared. In this study, the average of scores in pre-test and post-test was 7±2.8 and 8.2±2.3, respectively. The level of knowledge between the girls (9.14± 2.72) and boys (7.22±2.96) increased (p= 0.001, p= 0.007). In the girls, the level of knowledge before and after education was more than the boys (p=0.000). But the difference of increasing of knowledge between the girls was not significant in compared to the increasing of knowledge between the boys. Also, no relation was found between the scores of pre-test and post-test and parent's educational level. The knowledge level of all students (boys and girls) increased in post-test. The results of this study showed that indirect education with book is effective in increasing their knowledge.