Comparison between Conventional, Game-based, and Self-made Storybook-based Oral Health Education on Children\'s Oral Hygiene Status: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

A bstract Introduction Dental caries is the most widespread disease affecting children worldwide. The reason for this increased prevalence is the use of more processed foods and beverages with the addition of refined sugars. General health affects oral health and its maintenance is of great importance. Lifestyle modifications and habits are formed at an early age therefore health education plays an important role in educating them about the prevention of problems related to oral health. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess and compare the effectiveness of conventional method, game-based and storybook-based oral health education on the oral hygiene status among 7–12-year-old schoolchildren. Purpose To assess and compare the effectiveness of conventional method, game-based and storybook-based oral health education on the oral hygiene status among 7–12-year-old schoolchildren. Materials and methods A total of 300 children aged 7–12 years were divided into 3 groups. Each group had 100 children which were randomly assigned to each of the three groups. In group I, oral health education with the help of conventional method using educative posters was given to children once daily for a week. In group II, oral health education was imparted to children through play method (i.e., snakes and ladders game combined with flash cards) followed by group III, in which children were given education through self-made storybooks. The oral hygiene of all the children was estimated through Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified Debris (DI-S) score at day 1 and after 3 months after intervention. Results In group III, storybooks showed maximum reduction in debris score which was found to be highly statistically significant followed by game based (group II) and conventional method (group I) of oral health education. Conclusion The reduction in debris score was seen maximum in group III (storybooks). Hence, the use of storybooks should be encouraged for educating children regarding basic oral health concepts. Clinical significance There is important need to understand differences in the mental cognitive ability of the children at different ages and the need to develop different intervention programs for different age-groups. Rationalizing reading can be an intelligent initiative toward the development of good oral habits and transforming the outlook of oral healthcare system in years to come. How to cite this article Sharma S, Saxena S, Naik SN, et al. Comparison between Conventional, Game-based, and Self-made Storybook-based Oral Health Education on Children's Oral Hygiene Status: A Prospective Cohort Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(2):273–277.

Effectiveness of a Visual Interactive Game on Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Practices, and Clinical Parameters among Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…These findings were in accordance with previous studies by Kashyap et al [ 10 ], which showed that game-based education (i.e., crosswords and quiz with a PowerPoint presentation) proved very effective in improving oral health knowledge. Our findings are in accordance with those of Sharma et al [ 19 ], Malik et al [ 3 ], and Maheswari et al [ 20 ], who used game-based OHE to improve knowledge, health behaviour, and practices. The studies by Sinor et al [ 8 ] and Anwar et al [ 25 ] also reported that a cartoon-animated audiovisual aid significantly promoted knowledge regarding oral hygiene maintenance, in comparison to those who attended the conventional oral health talk.…”

“…Studies have demonstrated that cartoon-animated audiovisual aids and game-based education implemented for schoolchildren are powerful tools for educating and providing thought-stimulating methods of learning [ 16 , 17 ]. The use of fun-based learning interventions (connect the dots games [ 1 , 18 ], crosswords and quizzes [ 3 ], flashcards [ 1 ], snakes and ladders [ 19 , 20 ], augmented reality board games [ 21 ], video games [ 22 , 23 ], smartphone oral hygiene applications [ 24 ], and animated audiovisual resources [ 25 ]) have been suggested to be a perfect motivating tool to encourage children to take part in self-care activities. The use of gaming in OHE can be a good alternative for educating basic health concepts, thereby, strengthening cognitive development and confidence [ 26 ].…”

Community service‐based preventive dental education for elementary school‐aged children

“…study, 24 which examined the effect of individual training on elementary school children's tooth‐brushing skills and discovered that children who received individual training improved significantly more than those in the control group who received group‐based training. Several previous studies confirmed the larger effectiveness of other interactive oral hygiene targeting interventions in comparison to the conventional approaches 25,26–29 . Most of those interventional strategies were game based, such as using flashcards, connecting the dots, 28 completing crosswords and quizzes, 27 snake and ladder, self‐made story books 29 …”

“…Several previous studies confirmed the larger effectiveness of other interactive oral hygiene targeting interventions in comparison to the conventional approaches 25,26–29 . Most of those interventional strategies were game based, such as using flashcards, connecting the dots, 28 completing crosswords and quizzes, 27 snake and ladder, self‐made story books 29 …”

“…Several previous studies confirmed the larger effectiveness of other interactive oral hygiene targeting interventions in comparison to the conventional approaches. 25,[26][27][28][29] Most of those interventional strategies were game based, such as using flashcards, connecting the dots, 28 completing crosswords and quizzes, 27 snake and ladder, self-made story books. 29 In our study, not only did we aim to increase children's oral health knowledge, but we also targeted to improve children's oral self-care skills by having them brush while watching a specially prepared child-friendly tooth-brushing video.…”