RETENÇÃO DO CONHECIMENTO SOBRE SAÚDE BUCAL EM UMA AMOSTRA DE ESCOLARES DE NOVA FRIBURGO.

Abstract

Guidance measures for the prevention of caries are supported by education in the patient's oral health. This study evaluated the retention of knowledge about oral health in schoolchildren before and after educational workshops. After approval by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP No. 2,987,965) the study was carried out with elementary school children from a public school in Nova Friburgo. A questionnaire on hygiene and dietary practices and knowledge about oral diseases was applied before educational workshops on oral health and 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after. The sample consisted of 136 students, 54.4% boys and 45.6% girls, with an average age of 8.7 years. Before the workshops children reported cleaning their teeth every day (91.2%), at least three times a day (60.3%), using a brush, toothpaste and dental floss (52.9%); 59.6% of children reported knowing what caused decay before participating in the workshops; 15 and 30 days after the workshops the percentages were 94.9% and 98.5%, respectively (p <0.05), decreasing to 58.8% 60 days after. For gingivitis, only 11.8% of children reported knowing the cause of the disease before the workshops; 15 and 30 days after the percentages were 81.6% and 94.9%, respectively, decreasing to 13.2% after 60 days. Based on the results, there was a decrease in knowledge retention after 30 days of educational activities, suggesting that this population should receive an oral health education program on an ongoing basis.

Keywords: Dental caries, Oral health, Health education.