Effectiveness of Individual Media on Tooth-brushing Skill Among Parents of Children Aged 3-5 Year-old in Khuamung Subdistrict, Saraphi District, Chiang Mai Province
Objective: To develop individual media on tooth-brushing skill for parents of 3-5-year-old children and to evaluate the effectiveness of the media.
Materials and Methods: The study was divided into two steps, in which the first step was the development of a template for individual media on tooth-brushing skill for parents and the second step was the evaluation of the parents’ tooth-brushing skill and the children’s oral hygiene. A Comparison was performed between experimental and control groups; the former received the individual media and the latter did not. The comparison was performed both at baseline and at three-month follow-up. Interviews to determine parental satisfaction after receipt of the individual media were also conducted. Data from all subjects were collected between February and June 2016. Twenty-four pairs of parents and children were randomly divided into two groups of 12 pairs. Parents in the control group received an oral hygiene instruction review and practiced brushing their child’s teeth, under the supervision of a dentist. Parents in the experimental group received the developed individual media in addition to the routine oral hygiene instruction review and supervised practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the McNemar test, the Pearson Chi-square test and the t-test.
Results: The study revealed that the use of individual media on tooth-brushing skill improved the parents’ tooth-brushing skill and also the children’s oral hygiene. An individually-designed poster was developed, using a mass customized concept. Parents’ tooth-brushing skills in the experimental group were significantly improved compared with those in the control group (p < 0.001) on all surfaces of the teeth except the occlusal surface, because the parents had the correct skills to brush before practicing. The difference in the mean plaque index score in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group (p = 0.007). The level of satisfaction with the individual media in the experimental group was good.
Conclusions: The use of individual media to remind parents at home of the previously practiced tooth-brushing skill can improve their skills and their children’s oral hygiene.
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