Table 2 Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding on oral hygiene and prevalence of untreated dental caries among 6–8 grade school students (n = 944)
Measures | Baseline | Follow-up | Percentage change (%) | P-Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | n | % | Â | Â | |
Knowledge regarding oral health | ||||||
 Periodontal disease can affect health | 432 | 45.8 | 830 | 87.9 | 42.1 | <0.001 |
 Regular tooth brush can protect tooth decay | 413 | 43.7 | 847 | 89.7 | 46.0 | <0.001 |
 Fizzy soft drinks affect the teeth | 310 | 32.8 | 740 | 78.3 | 45.5 | <0.001 |
 Use of fluorides prevent tooth decay | 305 | 32.3 | 801 | 84.5 | 52.2 | <0.001 |
 Gingivitis is a disease that makes your gums bleed | 408 | 43.2 | 470 | 49.8 | 6.6 | 0.059 |
 Dental caries is not a infectious disease | 380 | 40.2 | 460 | 48.7 | 8.5 | 0.079 |
 Fruits & vegetables have effects on teeth & gums | 399 | 42.2 | 753 | 79.8 | 37.6 | 0.003 |
 Sugar causes tooth decay | 260 | 27.5 | 699 | 74.0 | 46.5 | <0001 |
 Tooth decay is a disease that destroys your teeth | 304 | 32.2 | 645 | 68.3 | 36.1 | 0.004 |
 Healthy teeth means strong and carries free teeth | 367 | 38.9 | 875 | 92.7 | 53.8 | <0.001 |
Knowledge and beliefs grading | ||||||
 Poor (0–3) | 523 | 55.5 | 88 | 9.3 | −46.2 | <0.001 |
 Medium (4–7) | 237 | 25.2 | 140 | 14.8 | −10.4 |  |
 High (8–10) | 184 | 19.3 | 716 | 75.9 | 56.6 |  |
Attitudes toward oral health | ||||||
 It is important to take care of owns teeth | 390 | 41.3 | 784 | 83.0 | 41.7 | <0.001 |
 Needs to visit dentists for dental disease | 360 | 38.1 | 690 | 73.0 | 34.9 | 0.003 |
 Dentist care only treatment not prevention | 240 | 25.4 | 320 | 33.9 | 8.5 | 0.098 |
 Clean teeth is one’s duty | 355 | 37.6 | 790 | 83.7 | 46.1 | <0.001 |
 Immediate replacement of missing natural teeth by artificial teeth is necessary | 140 | 15.0 | 255 | 27.0 | 12.0 | 0.059 |
 Treatment of toothache is as important as any other organ in body | 201 | 21.3 | 710 | 75.2 | 53.9 | <0.001 |
 Consider oral health as priority | 190 | 20.1 | 749 | 79.3 | 59.2 | <0.001 |
 Necessary to brush teeth after each meal | 187 | 19.8 | 680 | 72.0 | 52.2 | <0.001 |
 Feel a dental wing is necessary | 210 | 22.2 | 374 | 39.6 | 17.4 | 0.040 |
 Avoiding smoking is necessary to protect teeth | 145 | 15.4 | 610 | 64.6 | 49.2 | <0.001 |
Attitude grading | ||||||
 Poor (0–3) | 601 | 63.7 | 230 | 24.4 | −39.3 | <0.001 |
 Medium (4–7) | 204 | 21.6 | 168 | 17.8 | −3.8 |  |
 High (8–10) | 139 | 14.7 | 546 | 57.8 | 43.1 |  |
Practices toward oral health | ||||||
Frequency of clean teeth, per day | ||||||
 1 time | 590 | 62.5 | 149 | 15.8 | −46.7 | 0.001 |
 2 times | 250 | 26.4 | 365 | 38.7 | 12.3 |  |
 3 times or more | 104 | 11.0 | 430 | 45.6 | 34.6 |  |
Practices toward oral health | ||||||
Time spent for brushing, minute | ||||||
 Less than 1 | 99 | 10.5 | 47 | 5.0 | −5.5 | 0.041 |
 1 | 303 | 32.1 | 149 | 15.8 | −16.3 |  |
 2 | 289 | 30.6 | 348 | 36.9 | 6.3 |  |
  ≥ 2 | 253 | 26.8 | 400 | 42.3 | 15.5 |  |
Cleansing aid used | ||||||
 Toothbrush | 275 | 29.2 | 795 | 84.3 | 55.1 | <0.001 |
 Finger | 430 | 45.6 | 80 | 8.5 | −37.1 |  |
 Othersa | 239 | 25.2 | 69 | 7.2 | −18.0 |  |
Materials used to clean teeth | ||||||
 Tooth paste | 229 | 24.3 | 650 | 68.9 | 44.6 | 0.003 |
 Tooth powder | 377 | 39.9 | 244 | 25.9 | −14.0 |  |
 Othersb | 338 | 35.8 | 50 | 5.2 | −30.6 |  |
Frequency of changing toothbrush | ||||||
 Not using tooth brush | 669 | 70.8 | 148 | 15.7 | −55.1 | 0.025 |
 Anytime when it damaged | 66 | 7.0 | 424 | 44.9 | 37.9 |  |
 Within 3–6 months | 120 | 12.7 | 188 | 19.9 | 7.2 |  |
 After 6 months later | 89 | 9.5 | 184 | 19.5 | 10.0 |  |
Type of toothpaste used | ||||||
 Not using tooth paste | 715 | 75.7 | 294 | 31.1 | −44.6 | 0.001 |
 Fluoridated | 42 | 4.5 | 439 | 46.5 | 42.0 |  |
 Non- Fluoridated | 187 | 19.8 | 211 | 22.4 | 2.6 |  |
Mouth rinsing after eating | ||||||
 Regularly | 178 | 18.9 | 922 | 97.7 | 78.8 | <0.001 |
 Irregularly | 299 | 31.7 | 6 | 0.6 | −31.1 |  |
 Not at all | 467 | 49.5 | 16 | 1.7 | −47.8 |  |
Clean tongue after meal or during brushing | ||||||
 Yes | 270 | 28.6 | 847 | 89.7 | 61.1 | <0.001 |
 No | 674 | 71.4 | 97 | 10.3 | −60.1 |  |
Frequency of eating candy/chocolate/sweets, per day | 88 | 9.3 | 398 | 42.2 | 32.9 | 0.043 |
Less than 1 time | 63 | 6.7 | 172 | 18.2 | 11.5 | Â |
1 time | 182 | 19.3 | 160 | 16.9 | −2.4 |  |
2–4 times | 254 | 26.9 | 129 | 13.7 | −13.2 |  |
4–6 times | 254 | 26.9 | 46 | 4.9 | −22.0 |  |
More than 6 times | 103 | 10.9 | 39 | 4.1 | −6.8 |  |
Practice grading | ||||||
 Poor (0–5) | 419 | 44.4 | 177 | 18.7 | −25.7 | 0.003 |
 Fair (6–11) | 347 | 36.8 | 248 | 26.3 | −10.5 |  |
 Good (12+) | 178 | 18.8 | 425 | 55.0 | 36.2 |  |
Prevalence of untreated dental cariesc | 490 | 51.9 | 315 | 33.4 | −18.5 | 0.001 |