Dental health knowledge, attitude and behaviour of preschool teachers in Trabzon

Early childood caries is a complex disease that whole-population approches and parental education is needed for prevention. Behavioral changes in daily oral practices and the parental knowledge and awareness of children's oral health can be built up by effective dental education. Pre-school teachers may be used as oral health educators if they have a good knowledge, attitude and practice of oral health. They have the oppurtunity of reaching the large number of children at the same time and the chance of communication with the parents thereby can play important role in the implementation of oral health education and preventive programs. The aim of this study to determine levels of knowledge, attitude and practices about children's oral health among pre-school teachers in Trabzon city, Turkey. The study was carried out on 226 pre-school teachers in Trabzon, using self-administered questionnaire. The result revealed that the teachers involved in this study generally had positive attitude to oral health. Only 29,8% of the respondants had a dental education before. Although about 83% of teachers said regular visits to dentist is effective for caries prevention, only 13,2% of teachers said going to regular visits to dentist. About 65,8% of teachers agreed fluoride strengthens enamel of tooth. 35,1% of teachers said there are activities about oral health in schools they work. About 74,6% of teachers said they would want to participate if there will be a dental education about children's oral health in the future. The results revealed teachers had poor knowledge about the importance of deciduous dentition, treatment necessities of deciduous dentition, when the first tooth brushing should start and the first dental visit should be done in children, how to use toothpaste contains fluoride in children and proper oral health behaviours. Oral health education must be a part of pre-school teachers curriculum as a part of national health care program on a regular basis. School-based dental education shoul be improved by further studies.