Supporting Teachers to Promote Lifelong Healthy Smiles: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background: Teachers are instrumental in fostering healthy habits, including oral hygiene, as schools serve as key platforms for health education. However, their effectiveness in promoting oral health among students remains underexplored, particularly in resource-limited settings like Sangareddy, India. Objective: To evaluate teachers’ awareness and opinions regarding the promotion of oral hygiene among school students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with ethical clearance (IRB No. 2023-045). A validated, self-administered questionnaire with 20 questions was distributed to 150 teachers from five schools in Sangareddy, selected via simple random sampling. Descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to assess the influence of age, qualification, and teaching experience on oral health awareness (p < 0.05). Results: Teachers aged 40-50 (12.7%), those with over 10 years of experience (26%), and those with postgraduate qualifications (30%) exhibited significantly higher oral health awareness (p < 0.05). However, 77.3% of teachers lacked knowledge about the appropriate use of mouthwash for children, indicating a critical gap in understanding. Conclusion: Despite some variation by age, experience, and qualification, teachers demonstrated incomplete oral health knowledge and inadequate practices. There is an urgent need for structured training programs to equip teachers with the skills to promote lifelong dental health habits in students. Keywords: Dental hygiene, oral health, oral hygiene awareness, school health education, teacher training