Evaluation of KAP of oral hygiene measures following oral health education through existing health and educational infrastructure.

This study is a part of a larger preventive oral health feasibility module embarked on a population of 120,000 of Raipurrani, district Ambala (Haryana). The KAP analysis of about 2000 individuals (including school children) on cross-sectional basis at baseline, one and two years after the implementation of knowledge about oral health measures to the community utilizing the existing health infrastructure at CHC, the Anganwadi workers (ICDS Scheme) and through school teachers in the schools revealed that at baseline datun was the most prevalent (63%) oral hygiene measure used in the community and students. After implementation, the practice of brushing thrice, twice and once daily increased but the most prevalent frequency remained once a day (39% out of 66 percent using brush in community and 37% out of 76 percent in students after 2 and 11/2 years of implementation respectively) followed by twice a day (23 & 31% respectively). A similar pattern of frequency was observed about datun users also, though the number using datun substantially declined from 62% to 33% in community and 63 to 23% in students after implementation.