Oral health education of schoolchildren through audio-visual methods

The teaching methods used in oral health education have an important impact on changing children\´s attitudes and behaviors. This study took place in 2009, in the School No. 135 "Ştefan cel Mare”, placed in Ferentari neighborhood. Method. Participants included 194 children from the second and third grade, 55% boys and 45% girls. We used a 16-questions questionnaire measuring their attitudes and oral health behaviors. The teaching process was based on persuasive communication using audio-visual channels. Results show a change in pupils\´ behavior, the percent of children that brush their teeth after every meal increased, and the frequency of meals decreased. The attitude toward dental esthetics and intelligence, kindness, age and socio-economic status has changed, the number of the children that are victims of stereotypes decreased. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that using modern, audiovisual channels for sending the message has a significant impact on children. Adjusting the content and the presentation of the message to the age, cognitive development and interests of our target group will lead to important changes in their attitudes toward illness, treatments and dental care.