ABSTRACT

Oral and dental illnesses are among the most frequent in the globe. The purpose of this study is to see how a relevant awareness and education program (consisting of health belief model) affected the behaviors of 8 th -grade students in Peshawar in terms of avoiding oral and dental disorders. This study was carried th out with 8 -grade male and female students in Peshawar. A total of 300 students from five schools were chosen from the list of students. The response and oral examination for children were recorded using the WHO oral health assessment form 2013. The already produced teaching information was then provided to each group in five sessions using various techniques. Data were analyzed using, chi-square for comparison and logistic regression for controlling confounders, using SPSS 20 software. Data indicated that the oral health of low-income schoolchildren was worse than high-income groups. The effect of oral health education programs on oral health measures were significantly improved after first and second intervention. Frequency of brushing, method of brushing, pattern of brushing, mouthwash, dental floss, brush after every meal, gargle, tongue cleaner, and periodontal status were significantly improved after oral health education program intervention. Significant factors affecting oral hygiene status were income level of parents, profession, father education, mother education, and gender. It is concluded that oral health education program improves oral health of school children.