Effectiveness of an Oral-Health Education Program using a Modified Toothbrush to Improve Parental Knowledge in Caring for Children with Cerebral Palsy at YPAC Surabaya

Background: Children with cerebral palsy experience motor impairments that limit their ability to perform daily oral hygiene, increasing the risk of dental problems. Parental support is therefore essential, and structured oral-health education may strengthen their ability to assist with tooth brushing using adaptive tools. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an oral-health education program incorporating modified toothbrush training in improving parents’ knowledge of tooth-brushing techniques for children with cerebral palsy. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted at YPAC Surabaya. Parents received oral-health education through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on training in creating modified toothbrush handles using clay-based materials. Parental knowledge was assessed using validated pretest and posttest questionnaires. Children’s oral hygiene was evaluated using plaque index and halitosis measurements. Data were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Twenty-four parents participated. Posttest scores showed a significant improvement in parental knowledge compared with pretest scores (p = 0.000), demonstrating the effectiveness of the educational intervention. Conclusion: The oral-health education program, combined with practical training on modified toothbrush use, effectively increased parents’ knowledge and readiness to support their children with cerebral palsy in maintaining daily oral hygiene. Broader implementation of such programs is recommended for special-needs educational settings.