Perception of Teachers about Implementation of Oral Health Education in Primary School Curriculum Sharma Amit1,*, Reddy Venugopal2, Jain Swapnil1, Bansal Vaibhav3, Niranjan Babita4 1Department of Public Health Dentistry, Peoples College of Dental Science and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 2Department of Public Health Dentistry, Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College, Visnagar, Gujarat, India 3Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maharana Pratap Dental College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 4Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Rishiraj Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India *Address for Correspondence: Dr. Amit Sharma, Peoples College of Dental Science and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. E-mail: dramitsharma007@gmail.com
Online published on 10 December, 2018. Abstract Objective A decayed tooth (dental caries) affects oral health status in children's more than any other chronic infectious diseases. Untreated tooth decay in children's can cause pain and secondary infections that will create the problem in eating, playing, speaking, learning, and be successful in school. Untreated dental infections in the mouth also put children at risk for other infections such as ears (otitis media, etc.), sinuses, and other parts of their bodies. School-based oral health education (OHE), screenings, assisted referral, and delivery of oral preventive care services provide equitable, reliable entry into long-term oral health care and assist parents by reducing the need to take time from work and find transportation. Children who receive care in schools also can become an entry point for others in the family to connect with an oral health care provider. The combination of education, prevention, and access to care has the potential to nearly eliminate tooth decay in school-age children. Methods The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among government and semi-government school located in Bhopal city for 6 months using a self-administered questionnaire. Results Out of 300 school teachers, 283 teachers felt that like other general fitness OHE is also as important as general health and should be included in a school health education program. Conclusion The questionnaire-based study conducted on government and semi-government school teachers supports on implementing oral health program for school children's oral health. There is a definite and immediate need for organized training of school teachers on basic oral health knowledge. Top Keywords Caries, children health, dental disease, oral health education, periodontal. Top |