Impact of oral health education on plaque scores with and without periodic reinforcement among 12-year-old school children

Introduction: As many oral health problems are preventable, creating awareness at a very early age has an impact on their health-related behaviors. Aim: To assess the impact of oral health education on plaque scores with and without periodic reinforcement among 12-year-old school children. Materials and Methods: An experimental study was conducted among 12-year-old children of Manchi School, Balapur in Hyderabad. The study sample comprised 140 children that was further divided randomly into study and control groups with 70 children in each. The study was conducted for a period of 1 month with clinical examination being carried out at baseline and on 30th day using Turesky, Gilmore, and Glickman modification of Quigley–Hein Plaque Index (1970). The study group received oral health education at the baseline and on the 15th day from the baseline, whereas control group received oral health education only at the baseline. Statistical analysis was done using Wilcoxon matched paired test. Results: Mean difference in the plaque scores among groups based on gender from baseline to follow-up examination (30th day) revealed that males in the study and control groups had a difference of 1.09 ± 0.3, 0.59 ± 0.3, respectively (P = 0.001). On the other hand, females in the study and control groups had 1.47 ± 0.2, 0.76 ± 0.2 difference which was statistically more significant (P = 0.0001). The study and control groups showed 61.7% and 32.6% reduction in the mean plaque scores from baseline to follow-up examination (30th day). Conclusion: Study group with reinforcement showed a prominent reduction in the mean plaque scores than control group.