A Study on the Oral Health Awareness and Behavior of Lower Graders in Elementary School

초등학교 저학년 학생의 구강보건에 관한 인식 및 행동

This study was performed to collect basic data for the development of effective oral health education program of lower graders in elementary school. The subject in this study were 704 first-year, second-year and third-year in Hyoje elementary school. The authors collected the tissue where dental caries involved. the possibilities of dental caries prevention. cariogenic food and noncariogenic food. time and frequency of toothbrushing. size of using toothbrush, intake frequency of cariogenic food and the experience with visiting dental clinics, the purpose of visiting dental clinics and fear for dental treatment. The collected data were analyzed. The finding of this study were as follows: 1. Twenty-four percent of students had not correct understanding about the tissue which dental caries are involved. Eleven percent of students thought that it was impossible to prevent dental caries. 2. Sixty-four percent of student brushed their teeth before going to bed, and 63.0% of responded students brushed their teeth twice or more a day. Seventy-eight percent of students used small toothbrush. and there was a Significant difference of size of using toothbrush among the first, second and third graders(P<0.01). Sixty-nine percent of students intake cariogenic food once or more a day. 3. Eighty-six percent of students had experienced with visiting denial clinics. sixty-two percent of students visited dental clinics when they had a toothache. and there was a significant difference of the purpose of visiting dental clinics among the first. second and third graders(P<0.01). Seventeen percent of students responded that dental treatment is fearful there was a significant difference of fear for denial treatment among the first, second and third graders(P<0.05). 4. It was recommended that effective oral health education programs should be developed to increase toothbrushing after breakfast, to decrease intake frequency of cariogenic food, to increase frequency of visiting dental clinics regularly, and to reduced fear for dental treatment.