Educating kindergarten teachers to promote oral health to preschool children

Abstract

Objectives: To study the oral health knowledge and awareness, and satisfaction of kindergarten teachers who participated in a community oral health program promoting oral health to preschool children in Hong Kong. Methods: Teachers from 85 kindergartens in Hong Kong were invited to participate in this study. They were given seminar on oral health for preschool children at the beginning of the academic year. The teachers were asked to deliver oral health messages regularly to the preschool children in the kindergarten. Oral health education materials such as posters, VCD, tooth model, instructional guides for children activities and teacher’s manual were provided. A telephone survey on the head teacher or her representative of each participant kindergarten was conducted at the end of the academic year. Close-ended questions including self-perceived increase in oral health knowledge and awareness, frequency and methods of knowledge transfer to children, and overall satisfaction with the program were asked.

Results: Eighty teachers from 80 kindergartens responded and the response rate was 96%. All respondents reported they had advancement in their oral health knowledge and raised awareness. Two thirds (64%) of the respondents transferred the knowledge to children “often” or “almost every day”. More than half (55%) of the respondents promote oral health through the daily lessons and 48% of them taught toothbrushing using the tooth model provided. One fifth (21%) of them organized kindergarten activities particularly for oral health care. Overall, 96% of the respondents were satisfied with the program.

Conclusions: Teachers had an increased oral health knowledge and awareness after they participated in this oral health promotion program. Most of them were satisfied with the program and used the knowledge gained from the program to teach the preschool children in their kindergartens.

(This study was supported by a grant from the S K Yee Medical Foundation)