Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices among school teachers in Tshwane district, South Africa

Abstract

INTRODUCTION : Teachers are perceived as role models and studies have shown that they can enhance the oral health behaviour of young children. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : To assess the oral health (OH) knowledge, attitudes and practices of public school teachers in a district in Pretoria, South Africa. METHODS : This was a cross sectional analytical study. The sample comprised of six schools that were randomly selected within the Tshwane West sub district. A total of 160 teachers were included. A modified, self-administered, validated questionnaire was used to obtain the data. RESULTS : Of the 160 teachers included, 97 (61%) completed the questionnaire. The majority (80%) were female and the mean age was 38.23 years (±12.85; 22-66). More than 80% had an adequate level of OH knowledge, 94% reported it was important to visit a dental practitioner (DP) regularly and 94% believed that OH education should form part of the teaching curriculum. The most common reason for visiting a DP was toothache (32%) while fear (35%) was the most common barrier. Those with a higher mean age were more likely to brush frequently (p<0.01), utilise dental aids (p=0.01) and visit a DP regularly (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION : The majority of teachers had adequate OH knowledge. The respondents with a higher mean age were more likely to brush frequently, use dental aids and visit a DP regularly. Workshops for teachers are required to improve current levels of knowledge and address any queries regarding prevention and diagnosing of dental diseases.