Evaluating the Effectiveness of Oral Health Promotion Package on Oral Hygiene, Oral Halitosis, and Gingivitis among 6–18-year-old Children Residing in Two Orphanages in Coimbatore City, India: An Interventional Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of oral health promotion package (OHPP) on oral hygiene status, oral halitosis, and gingivitis among 6–18-year-old children residing in two orphanages in Coimbatore city, India. Methodology: This interventional study was conducted among 6–18-year-old children residing in two orphanages in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. A simple random sampling was used to select the orphanages. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the children to evaluate the baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP). The participants were given oral hygiene aids followed by dental health education along with the demonstration of brushing technique by a public health dentist. Postintervention data were collected after 3 months following intervention. Results: A total of 80 children (43 were from orphanage 1 and 37 were from orphanage 2) were included. There was a significant improvement in the overall KAP scores from baseline (7.80 ± 2.85) to 3 months postintervention (15.95 ± 2.05) in two different orphanages. The mean oral hygiene index-simplified (from 3.58 ± 1.37 to 1.89 ± 0.89), gingival index (from 1.89 ± 0.63 to 1.12 ± 0.45), and oral halitosis (from 0.18 ± 0.39 to 0.03 ± 0.24) scores significantly decreased from baseline to 3 months postintervention. Conclusion: OHPP was effective in improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices on oral hygiene status, which improved the oral hygiene, gingivitis, and oral halitosis status among the children residing in orphanages.