Oral Health Education Intervention among Preschoolers: A Randomized Controlled Trial Chandran Thara1, Ravindranath Nagashree Savanur2, Kumari Deesha3, Tirupati Nagaland4, Mithun K5, Shilpa M6, Philip Bless Annie7 1Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte Deemed to be University, Deralakatte, Mangalore 2Reader, Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital, K.R. Road, V.V. Puram, Bengaluru 3Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte Deemed to be University, Deralakatte, Mangalore 4Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Chettinad Dental College and Research Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Kelambakkam 5Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, AJ Institute of Dental Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka 6Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte Deemed to be University, Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018 7Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte Deemed to be University, Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018 Online published on 13 November, 2019. Abstract The global prevalence of oral diseases across all ages demands the immediate need for oral health promotion measures. The impact and retention of oral health message vary depending upon the mode of delivery. Thus present study compared the effectiveness of different modes of oral health education delivered to preschoolers. A randomized controlled study with three groups (n=40) compared the effect of oral health education delivered through drama mode enacted by peers, dentists and a control group with no oral health education intervention. Debris Index Simplified (DI-S) component of Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S) modified for primary dentition was used to measure the oral hygiene status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 for descriptive and inferential statistics like paired t test, ANOVA and post hoc tests. p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Oral health education delivered by drama mode had a significant impact on the preschoolers. The study concluded that the same oral health information when delivered by different modes had different impact on the preschoolers. Top Keywords Preschoolers, Drama, Oral health education. Top |