Creating a Textured Book for Oral Health among Preschool-Children

• NIKITA MOHANTY,  
• Swati Patnaik,*  
• Dharmashree Satyarup,  
• Silpa Dash

Abstract

Background: Poor oral hygiene in young children is a major public health problem that is affected by many societal, communal, and environmental factors. Children as young as 12 months old can get early childhood caries (ECC), which can impact their growth, development, and quality of life. ECC affects between 6% and 90% of people around the world, so kids in preschool need to learn good oral health habits. The study's objective is to create an explained book model that can be used to teach preschoolers about good mouth care and get around the problems with current methods. Methodology: The textured book focusing on imparting knowledge and developing tooth brushing skills was validated by a group of school teachers, faculty from Public Health Dentistry and Pedodontics tested a book on teaching kids how to brush their teeth on their own using Likert scale questionnaires. The glossy book, made with design tools and printed on cloth, met all four validity criteria, indicating its effectiveness as a teaching tool. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to assess construct validity, quantifying the strength and direction of the relationship between the measurement instrument and related constructs. Content validity ratio was obtained using the Lawshe Method, and estimated to be 0.83. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, which was 0.81. The significant level was set at p-value <0.05. Conclusion: The textured book model is a fun and involved way to get preschoolers to take care of their teeth. Strong evidence supports its ability to be used as a scientifically sound teaching tool in preschools, mixing fun and learning to teach kids good dental care habits that will last a lifetime.

Keywords

: Pre-School Children, Dental Caries, Textured book, Oral Health