Background: Dental health is crucial to school health because untreated dental decay can hinder kids’ development and learning, exacerbate behavioral issues, and lower their self-esteem. Oral hygiene refers to the maintenance of cleanliness of the teeth and mouth to prevent dental problems such as dental caries, gingivitis, and bad breath. Effective oral hygiene focuses on controlling and preventing the buildup of dental plaque. This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and oral health practices among school-going children between 10 and 13 years of age. Methods: In November 2023, a qualitative pre-experimental research design employing a one-group pretest–posttest approach will be conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning oral health among school-going children aged 10–13 years old (grades V to VIII). Utilizing power analysis, a sample of 70 children meeting inclusion criteria will be selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Each day, 5 to 6 participants were chosen from various schools. Data will be gathered through a pre-tested structured interview questionnaire. This methodology aims to provide insights into oral health perceptions and behaviors among this demographic, contributing to potential interventions and educational initiatives. Results: The findings indicated that among school-going children aged 10–13 years, the majority, 38 participants (54.29%), demonstrated an inadequate level of knowledge, while 32 participants (45.71%) had a moderate level of knowledge. None of the children exhibited an adequate level of knowledge. Regarding attitudes toward oral health, most participants, 40 children (57.14%), displayed a positive attitude, whereas 30 children (42.86%) showed a negative attitude. In terms of oral health practices, the majority, 62 children (88.57%), reported a moderate level of practice, while 8 children (11.43%) had poor practice levels. The association between the knowledge score, attitude, practice with demographic variables among school going children age group between 10–13 years old, the results shows significance on age, education, religion, type of family, residence, education of mother, education of father, siblings, dental examination and dental problems p < 0.05 and other demographic variables were not significant. Conclusion: After analyzing the data, Knowledge, attitude and practice has a significant association with each other. Therefore, it is important to strengthen children’s knowledge on the relevant topic to promote better oral health practices. Structured health education plays a vital role in improving oral hygiene among children, and primary schools offer an ideal environment for implementing effective oral health programs. Educating children is fundamental to their overall development, as their knowledge, attitudes, and practices formed during childhood significantly influence their behavior in later life and can also impact the health practices of those around them

Keywords: Assess, attitude, knowledge, oral health, practice, school-going children

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1. Sharma A, Bansal P, Grover A, Sharma S, Sharma A. Oral health status and treatment needs among primary school going children in Nagrota Bagwan block of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2014 Nov–Dec;18(6):762–6. doi: 4103/0972-124X.147421. PMID: 25624634; PMCID: PMC4296462.
2. Baiju RM, Peter E, Varghese NO, Sivaram R. Oral health and quality of life: Current concepts. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):ZE21–ZE26. doi: 7860/JCDR/2017/25866.10110. Epub 2017 Jun 1. PMID: 28764312; PMCID: PMC5535498.
3. Singh R, Mendiratta P, Saraf BG, Sheoran N, Saji SE, Kapil D. Knowledge, attitude and practices of parents toward the oral health of their school-going children in Faridabad city. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2022 Sep–Oct;15(5):549–553. doi: 5005/jp-journals-10005-2438. PMID: 36865736; PMCID: PMC9973122.
4. Gurav KM, Shetty V, Vinay V, Bhor K, Jain C, Divekar P. Effectiveness of oral health educational methods among school children aged 5-16 years in improving their oral health status: A meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2022 May–Jun;15(3):338–349. doi: 5005/jp-journals-10005–2395. PMID: 35991801; PMCID: PMC9357547.
5. Kanagavelu ASK, Chandran A, Brinda J. Oral hygiene practices and knowledge among children of age 10-13 years in a private school in Chennai, South India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2020 Sep 25;7(10):4093–9. Available from: https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/article/ view/6916.
6. Burman J, Dasgupta A, Banerjee R, Sembiah S, Bandyopadhyay L, Paul B. A study on oral hygiene among students of a secondary school in Harinavi, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Med J Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth. 2019 Jan–Feb;12(1):34–38.
7. Blaggana A, Grover V, Kapoor A, Blaggana V, Tanwar R, Kaur H, et al. Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practice behaviour among secondary school children in Chandigarh. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016 Oct;10(10):ZC01–ZC06.
8. Burman J, Dasgupta A, Banerjee R, Sembiah S, Bandyopadhyay L, Paul B. A study on oral hygiene among students of a secondary school in Harinavi, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Med J Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth. 2019 Jan–Feb;12(1):34–38.
9. World Health Organization. Global status report on oral health 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/team/noncommunicable-diseases/global-status-report-on-oral-health-2022.
10. Indira Devi, Dr. Harvinder Kaur, "A study to assess the prevalence of oral problems and awareness regarding oral hygiene among secondary school children in view of the informational booklet in selected schools at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh India," International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering (IJARCCE), DOI: 10.17148/IJARCCE. 2021.10926
11. Badarch J, Batbaatar S, Paulik E. Prevalence and correlates of poor oral hygiene among school-going students in Mongolia. Dent J (Basel). 2021 Jan 20;9(2):12. doi: 3390/dj9020012. PMID:33498221; PMCID:PMC7908969.
12. Tikare S, Eroje AB, Togoo RA, Marzoq SM, Alkhammah SM, Alshahrani MM, et al. Pediatrician’s knowledge and practice of early childhood caries and infant oral health in Southern Saudi Arabia. J Dent Res Rev. 2019 Apr–Jun;6(2):44–48.

Background: Dental health is crucial to school health because untreated dental decay can hinder kids’ development and learning, exacerbate behavioral issues, and lower their self-esteem. Oral hygiene refers to the maintenance of cleanliness of the teeth and mouth to prevent dental problems such as dental caries, gingivitis, and bad breath. Effective oral hygiene focuses on controlling and preventing the buildup of dental plaque. This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and oral health practices among school-going children between 10 and 13 years of age. Methods: In November 2023, a qualitative pre-experimental research design employing a one-group pretest–posttest approach will be conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning oral health among school-going children aged 10–13 years old (grades V to VIII). Utilizing power analysis, a sample of 70 children meeting inclusion criteria will be selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Each day, 5 to 6 participants were chosen from various schools. Data will be gathered through a pre-tested structured interview questionnaire. This methodology aims to provide insights into oral health perceptions and behaviors among this demographic, contributing to potential interventions and educational initiatives. Results: The findings indicated that among school-going children aged 10–13 years, the majority, 38 participants (54.29%), demonstrated an inadequate level of knowledge, while 32 participants (45.71%) had a moderate level of knowledge. None of the children exhibited an adequate level of knowledge. Regarding attitudes toward oral health, most participants, 40 children (57.14%), displayed a positive attitude, whereas 30 children (42.86%) showed a negative attitude. In terms of oral health practices, the majority, 62 children (88.57%), reported a moderate level of practice, while 8 children (11.43%) had poor practice levels. The association between the knowledge score, attitude, practice with demographic variables among school going children age group between 10–13 years old, the results shows significance on age, education, religion, type of family, residence, education of mother, education of father, siblings, dental examination and dental problems p < 0.05 and other demographic variables were not significant. Conclusion: After analyzing the data, Knowledge, attitude and practice has a significant association with each other. Therefore, it is important to strengthen children’s knowledge on the relevant topic to promote better oral health practices. Structured health education plays a vital role in improving oral hygiene among children, and primary schools offer an ideal environment for implementing effective oral health programs. Educating children is fundamental to their overall development, as their knowledge, attitudes, and practices formed during childhood significantly influence their behavior in later life and can also impact the health practices of those around them

Keywords: Assess, attitude, knowledge, oral health, practice, school-going children

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Sharma A, Bansal P, Grover A, Sharma S, Sharma A. Oral health status and treatment needs among primary school going children in Nagrota Bagwan block of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2014 Nov–Dec;18(6):762–6. doi: 4103/0972-124X.147421. PMID: 25624634; PMCID: PMC4296462.
2. Baiju RM, Peter E, Varghese NO, Sivaram R. Oral health and quality of life: Current concepts. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):ZE21–ZE26. doi: 7860/JCDR/2017/25866.10110. Epub 2017 Jun 1. PMID: 28764312; PMCID: PMC5535498.
3. Singh R, Mendiratta P, Saraf BG, Sheoran N, Saji SE, Kapil D. Knowledge, attitude and practices of parents toward the oral health of their school-going children in Faridabad city. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2022 Sep–Oct;15(5):549–553. doi: 5005/jp-journals-10005-2438. PMID: 36865736; PMCID: PMC9973122.
4. Gurav KM, Shetty V, Vinay V, Bhor K, Jain C, Divekar P. Effectiveness of oral health educational methods among school children aged 5-16 years in improving their oral health status: A meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2022 May–Jun;15(3):338–349. doi: 5005/jp-journals-10005–2395. PMID: 35991801; PMCID: PMC9357547.
5. Kanagavelu ASK, Chandran A, Brinda J. Oral hygiene practices and knowledge among children of age 10-13 years in a private school in Chennai, South India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2020 Sep 25;7(10):4093–9. Available from: https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/article/ view/6916.
6. Burman J, Dasgupta A, Banerjee R, Sembiah S, Bandyopadhyay L, Paul B. A study on oral hygiene among students of a secondary school in Harinavi, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Med J Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth. 2019 Jan–Feb;12(1):34–38.
7. Blaggana A, Grover V, Kapoor A, Blaggana V, Tanwar R, Kaur H, et al. Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practice behaviour among secondary school children in Chandigarh. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016 Oct;10(10):ZC01–ZC06.
8. Burman J, Dasgupta A, Banerjee R, Sembiah S, Bandyopadhyay L, Paul B. A study on oral hygiene among students of a secondary school in Harinavi, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Med J Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth. 2019 Jan–Feb;12(1):34–38.
9. World Health Organization. Global status report on oral health 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/team/noncommunicable-diseases/global-status-report-on-oral-health-2022.
10. Indira Devi, Dr. Harvinder Kaur, "A study to assess the prevalence of oral problems and awareness regarding oral hygiene among secondary school children in view of the informational booklet in selected schools at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh India," International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering (IJARCCE), DOI: 10.17148/IJARCCE. 2021.10926
11. Badarch J, Batbaatar S, Paulik E. Prevalence and correlates of poor oral hygiene among school-going students in Mongolia. Dent J (Basel). 2021 Jan 20;9(2):12. doi: 3390/dj9020012. PMID:33498221; PMCID:PMC7908969.
12. Tikare S, Eroje AB, Togoo RA, Marzoq SM, Alkhammah SM, Alshahrani MM, et al. Pediatrician’s knowledge and practice of early childhood caries and infant oral health in Southern Saudi Arabia. J Dent Res Rev. 2019 Apr–Jun;6(2):44–48.