Enhancing the Oral Health Literacy of Students Through Dental Educational Videos

Oral health literacy is critical for developing lifelong habits that contributed to overall well-being. Despite this, many students lacked adequate knowledge and awareness of proper oral hygiene practices. This gap in oral health literacy led to poor dental habits, increased dental problems, and ultimately, a decline in academic performance due to health-related absences. To address the issue, this research aimed to enhance the oral health literacy of students by integrating dental educational videos into the curriculum. The study employed a mixed-method design with pre-tests and post-tests to measure changes in oral health knowledge before and after exposure to oral health videos. Both Grade 2 and Grade 3 pupils showed significant improvement in their oral health literacy after the intervention, as indicated by the increase in mean scores. A value of 0.690943139 means that, on average, students achieved 69% of the maximum possible improvement in their oral health literacy scores. This is a substantial gain, indicating that the intervention was quite effective. Additionally, focus group discussions were conducted to gain qualitative insights into students' perceptions and learning experiences. The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in oral health literacy among the respondents following the intervention. The study highlighted the potential of incorporating technological tools, specifically dental educational videos, in educational settings to effectively elevate students' understanding and practices related to oral health.