A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AUDIOVISUAL AIDED ON KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE REGARDING DENTAL WELLBEING AMONG PRIMARY TEENAGERS IN A SELECTED CONSERVATORY AT VADODARA, GUJARAT

Abstract

Oral health is an integral component of general health and well-being. The World Health Organization recognizes oral diseases as major public health problems due to their high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life. Adolescence represents a formative phase wherein individuals develop health behaviors that often persist into adulthood. Despite advancements in dental care, dental caries and periodontal diseases remain highly prevalent among adolescents in India.

Initial teenagers often exhibit inadequate knowledge and improper dental hygiene practices such as irregular brushing, improper brushing techniques, excessive consumption of sugary foods, and infrequent dental check-ups. These factors contribute to an increased burden of preventable oral diseases.

Health education plays a pivotal role in promoting oral health. Audiovisual abetted directives, which combine visual and auditory stimuli, enhance learning by improving attention, retention, and comprehension. Such methods are particularly effective among adolescents, who are more receptive to multimedia-based learning.

In this context, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of audiovisual abetted directives on knowledge and practice regarding dental healthiness among initial teenagers in a selected conservatory at Vadodara, Gujarat.