Original Article

Year : 2021 | Volume : 6 | Issue : 1 | Page : 17-19

Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitude on Schoolchildren’s Oral Health in Nalgonda District, Telangana, India – A Cross‐Sectional Study

Gowtham Pallamala1, Saraswathi Srikanth Raju2, Madhuri Allam3, M. Sai Divya1, Kiranmayi Merum2, D. Vidhyadhar4

1 MDS, Consultant Pedodontist, Departments of 2 Pedodontics and 4 Prosthodontics, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences, Nalgonda, Telangana, India, 3 MDS, Consultant Endodontist, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. M. Sai Divya,

3‐7‐167/1, Rajeev Nagar, Suryapet ‐ 508 213, Suryapet District, Telangana, India.

E‐mail: divya.mahali@gmail.com

Abstract

Introduction:

The need for the promotion of oral health in schools is discernible and it can easily be integrated by teachers, provided they have an optimistic attitude toward schoolchildren’s oral health. Hence, the aim of the study was to evaluate the teacher’s knowledge and attitude toward their schoolchildren’s oral health care.

Materials and Methodology:

A sample of 226 schoolteachers was selected randomly from both rural and urban areas of Nalgonda district, Telangana. A structured questionnaire was formulated based on their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral health and trauma management. The data were collected and tabulated for statistical analysis.

Results:

82.3% of teachers do not know that there is a specialist dealing with children’s oral health and dental problems. 95.1% had an opinion that it is important to have an educational program in oral health and 80.5% intended to attend any educational program on oral health. 36.3% of teachers encountered a dental trauma in children at a school. Only 17.3% of teachers had knowledge that children with bulged/proclined teeth are more prone to injury during trauma and 43.8% of teachers had a knowledge that they should take to a pedodontist when a child underwent trauma to teeth.

Conclusion:

Teachers have inadequate knowledge regarding oral hygiene and trauma management in children. Teacher training programs should be conducted which makes a great difference by educating children about effective oral hygiene measures and by constantly motivating them.

Keywords: Oral hygiene, schoolchildren, schoolteachers, trauma management

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article: Pallamala G, Raju SS, Allam M, Divya MS, Merum K, Vidhyadhar D. Teachers’ knowledge and attitude on schoolchildren’s oral health in Nalgonda district, Telangana, India – A cross‐sectional study. Int J Pedod Rehabil 2021;6:17-9.