An Experimental Study to Determine the Effectiveness of Learning Package on Oral Hygiene Practices among School-Age Children Aged between 6-12 Years Studying at Selected School, Hassan, Karnataka

"Mouth is the mirror of the body" Good oral health is important for our well-being. Daily preventive care includes proper brushing and flossing which will help to stop problems before they develop as painful and expensive". Oral hygiene involves keeping the teeth and oral cavity clean and free from odour. Oral hygiene can be performed using a toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash. During the school age years, the permanent teeth erupt, good dental hygiene and regular attention to dental caries are a part of health promotion practices. Children of this age tend to be lax about oral hygiene and are not motivated by improved appearance and odour, as they will be during adolescence. In addition, school children prefer raw sugars, candies etc in between meals. That's why it is important to educate the school age children regarding oral hygiene practices. The aim of the study was to identify and improve the knowledge of the school-age children regarding oral hygiene practices. The research design adopted for this study was pre test post test control group design.

The simple random sampling technique (lottery method) was utilized for the selection of the subjects. This includes a sample of 60 school-age children were selected for the study and among 60 school-age children, 30 school-age children were selected for the experimental group by allotting even numbers and 30 school-age children were selected for the control group by allotting odd numbers.

The results of this study shows that pre-test knowledge score of the school-age children in the both experimental and control group regarding oral hygiene practices was n=9(30%). Post-test knowledge score of the school-age children in the experimental group regarding oral hygiene practices was n= 24(80%) and in the control group was only n= 10 (33%). The significant difference in the experimental group between pre-test and post-test score was 50%, due to the learning package.