Effectiveness of ‘SMART TEETH’ Program on Oral Health Literacy, Oral Health Care Behaviors, Plaque Index and Oral Health Quality of Life among Elementary School Students in Si Sa Ket Provencal Municipality

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research investigated the effectiveness of the SMART TEETH program on oral health literacy, oral health behaviors, plaque index, and the oral health-related quality of life among primary students of schools under the Si Sa Ket Provincial Municipality.  The sample group consisted of 72 individuals divided into an experimental group of 36 and a comparison group of 36. The experimental group received the SMART TEETH program over a period of 12 weeks, and included lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises, and peer learning exchanges within the group. Meanwhile, the control group received regular dental health education. Data were collected using interviews and analyzed using frequency, percentage, means, standard deviation, paired sample t-tests for intra-group differences, and ANCOVA for differences between the experimental and control groups. The results showed the analysis revealed that the experimental group scored significantly higher than the comparison group in oral health care behaviors (mean difference = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.12-2.76), while there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in oral health literacy (mean difference = -0.72, 95% CI = -5.25-3.84). Additionally, the experimental group had significantly lower scores than the comparison group in plaque index (mean difference = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.58-1.26) and oral health-related quality of life (mean difference = 7.00, 95% CI = 2.90-11.11).  Therefore, the SMART TEETH program helps students acquire learning and self-care skills for oral health that can be applied in their daily lives, leading to behavioral changes in oral health behaviors and a greater recognition of the importance of oral health care. However, they may not have access to oral health information from other sources. Nevertheless, parents and teachers should continue monitoring students' behaviors in the long term, and schools should support diverse oral health learning resources to enhance students' learning and access to oral health services.