Effects of a motivational program for caregivers on the oral hygiene quality of 10-to-36-month-old children: a pilot study

Resumo

Introduction: Dental caries is the most common chronic disease
in childhood and a major problem for world public healthcare. For
dental caries onset, the presence of dental plaque is primordial, being
plaque removal one of caries preventive measures. Children younger
than 3 years old depend on adults for dental plaque controlling.
Objective: To assess the quality of oral hygiene of children before
and after a motivational program conducted with their caregivers.
Material and methods: Twelve caregivers and 16 children (from 10 to
36 months old) entered the study. The children’s oral hygiene quality
was assessed with the Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) of upper and lower
incisors at baseline, 1 and 3 months after the instructional lecture
on oral health given to the caregivers. Results: It was verified a
statistical difference in OHI of upper/lower incisors between baseline
and 3 months after the lecture. At 1-month assessment after the
lecture, there was an improvement in OHI of the upper incisors.
There was no statiscally significant difference between upper and
lower incisors. All incisors OHI for the three assessments showed
a statiscally significant difference between the groups at baseline
and 1 month after the lecture, returning to the initial indexes after
3 months. Conclusion: Punctual health education activities are not
effective. They need to be continuous to institute changes in behavior
regarding oral health.