Resumo

COSTA, Francine dos Santos et al. Effectiveness of an educational strategy on oral health of visually impaired children. RFO UPF [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.1, pp. 12-17. ISSN 1413-4012.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational strategy, focusing on the oral health of visually impaired children enrolled at a school in Pelotas/RS. Methods: The strategy was used on a weekly basis for a month. Recreational and educational materials, touch orientation and supervised tooth brushing were used. The oral hygiene and the gingival health of 15 students aging from 7 to 16 years old were evaluated by the plaque index (PI) and the gingival bleeding index (GI) before intervention, 30 and 90 days later. In order to assess oral health perception, attitude and knowledge, a semi structured questionnaire was applied to children and their caregivers. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the Paired T test. Results: After 30 days, a statistically significant reduction in the PI and GI (p=0.001) was observed where 80% of the students showing a PI reduction and 100% showing a GI reduction. After 90 days, there was an increase in both PI and GI, without a statistically significant difference as compared to the 30-day examination. Conclusion: The educational and preventive proposal used by this study can be effective provided that it is based on the patients' remaining senses and it must be continuous and regular.

Palavras-chave : Dental plaque; Health education; Visually impaired persons.