Active‐involvement principle in dental health education

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A basic problem in dental health education (DHE) is that the effect usually disappears shortly after the termination of a program. Long-term effect of a DHE-program was attempted by emphasizing the active involvement of the participants. The sample comprised an experimental and a control group, each of 68 unskilled workers, aged 18-64. Active participation was obtained by various means. Teaching was carried out in pre-existing peer groups. The participants'' own goals and needs were included. The traditional dentist-patient barriers were excluded. The traditional dentist-patient roles were changed. The sessions were repeated. No dental treatment was included. The control group did not participate in the DHE-program. Plaque (PII) and gingivitis (GI) were scored before the program, immediately after, and 6 mo. and 3 1/2 yr after the last session. In the experimental group PII and GI decreased significantly from 1.30 and 1.42 at baseline to 0.39 and 0.97 6 mo. after the program, and 0.45 and 0.79 3 1/2 yr after the termination of the program. The reason for the long-term effect was the use of the principle of active involvement of the participants in the DHE-program.

This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit: