Effectiveness of dental health education program on periodontal health status of nursery school children in Erbil city

Background and Objectives: Dental health education is a planned package of information, learning activities or experiences that are intended to promote dental health. The current study was conducted to evaluate the impact of dental educational program on cleanliness and gingival health in primary dentition of nursery school children aging (3-6) years in Erbil city. Methods: Oral examination was performed on (148) children of (Balla) nursery school in Erbil city. They were divided into two equal groups, each consisting of (74) children. The first group, an experimental group, received dental health education instructions for 8 weeks before clinically examining the children (the dentist with cooperation from their teachers) twice a week. The second group, control group, whose members examined clinically without any dental educational program. Index used was CPITN. Results: Clinical examination showed that CPITN of group (1) was lower with a healthier gingiva with less plaque accumulation when compared with group (2) with statistical significant differences (P-value <0.005). Conclusion: Dental health education program is an essential activity for promoting optimal oral health and preventing oral diseases. The program displayed positive influence on gingival and oral health behaviors of nursery school children.