To Evaluate the Impact of Providing Oral Health Education on Dental Care Service Utilization, Provided to Women Living in Rural Communities of India, by Trained Women Peer Educators

Abstract Background and objectives: Oral health problems generally do not threaten a person with severe sickness or social incapacity except in instances of extreme pain. Hence the same importance is not accorded to oral health care compared to general health care. Since there is oral-systemic link, prevention of oral diseases has major role in maintaining good general health. Even though there has been improvement in materials, technology, facilities, preventive care to restore oral health conditions and enough available private and government policies for free treatment, there has been not much utilization of these restorative treatment. To create public awareness about the importance of oral health, it is necessary to educate people, especially in rural population. Hence, the objective of this community research project is to evaluate the impact of dental health education delivered by specially trained educators as a tool to increase awareness on the utilization of restorative dental care among rural women associated with self-help groups.Top of Form Methodology: The following steps were followed: Baseline Assessment, design of educational materials, training of educators, Pre education oral health survey of participants, implementation of education sessions, post-education assessment, utilization of restorative dental care by participants, long-term follow-up, data analysis and reporting. A total of 660 rural women belonging to self-help groups named Jnana Vikasa Kendras (JVK) participated in this cluster-randomized controlled trial. The mode of the intervention was dental health education by trained educators. An oral examination was conducted to record the participant's dentition status and treatment needs by trained dental surgeons using the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form and the CPI index before and post-implementation of dental education. The mean DMFT values of the intervention and the control group were calculated. Binary logistic regression was carried out to assess dental health education's effectiveness in utilizing restorative dental care by rural women. Results: At the baseline, the mean DMFT of the study participants in the intervention and the control group were 8.00±5.09 and 10.20±5.97 respectively. After the intervention, at one year follow up, the mean DMFT of the participants in the intervention and the control decreased to 7.82±6.02 and 9.89±6.79 respectively. Majority (56.2%) of the participants had calculus deposits (code 2) at baseline. During follow-up, the intervention group had code 0, scored by about 40% of the study participants, indicating an improvement in periodontal health. According to logistic analysis, the intervention had a statistically significant impact on the participants' DMFT component. Conclusion: Dental health education provided by trained nondental educators is a useful tool in improving the utilization of restorative dental care, which was reflected by reduction in dental caries, increased number of restored teeth, reduction of plaque and calculus, and an overall improvement in the oral health of the targeted population.