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My Mouth Matters

An Evidence-Based Practice

This practice has been Archived and is no longer maintained.

Description

My Mouth Matters was a school-based dental health program implemented in schools to improve the oral hygiene and dental knowledge of 10-year-old children. Children in the intervention received a dental health education program, which consisted of four, one-hour sessions. The program was designed to fit into the national curriculum's Key Stage 2, which centers on group work and discussions to learn new knowledge. The lessons were based on interactive activities in groups of 5 to 7 students, led by a qualified dental nurse who had received one day of training on the program. The lessons focused on the following four topics: 1) tooth function and appearance, 2) diet and its effect on teeth, 3) toothbrushing and the use of disclosing tablets, and 4) a review of dietary topics and toothbrushing. The program involved parents and caregivers through three home-based projects. The My Mouth Matters program, including the facilitator handbook, is available at no cost from the University of Manchester.

Goal / Mission

The goal of My Mouth Matters was to raise dental health awareness, improve knowledge, and reduce plaque.

Results / Accomplishments

The program was evaluated using a cluster randomized trial, comparing the intervention group to a control group. At a four-month follow-up students in the intervention group had a 20% lower mean plaque score than students in the control group (p < 0.001). At a seven-month follow up students in the intervention group had a 17% lower mean plaque score (p < 0.001). Dental health knowledge had improved in both groups at the four-month follow-up, but the intervention group scored significantly higher on the questionnaire than the control group (94% vs. 83%, p < 0.001). This difference in knowledge persisted at the seven-month follow-up (96% vs. 81%).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
University Dental Hospital of Manchester
Primary Contact
Dr. Anthony Blinkhorn
University Dental Hospital of Manchester
Higher Cambridge Street
Manchester M15 7FH
England
+44 (0)161 306 0220
anthony.blinkhorn@man.ac.uk
http://www.dentistry.manchester.ac.uk/
Topics
Health / Oral Health
Health / Children's Health
Organization(s)
University Dental Hospital of Manchester
Source
Journal of Public Health Dentistry
Date of publication
2001
Date of implementation
Aug 1997
Location
England
For more details
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11317600
Target Audience
Children

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Related Content for: My Mouth Matters

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.