[Effectiveness educational programs for school dental health. Experimental trial]

This paper is a limited-scope experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Dental Health Educational Programs implemented in Venezuelan schools by the Dentistry Division of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Two hundred and ninety-six six-to-twelve year olds were randomly selected from two schools, one private, the other public, located in the Municipality of Maracaibo, State of Zulia, Venezuela. The children assigned to each school were randomly distributed among the experimental and control groups. A general hypothesis was set up, stating that reinforcement and motivation generate changes in the gingival health of the children under study, but with different results for each, depending on their psycho-social characteristics. Two approaches were used: instruction/supervision and instruction/supervision/reinforcement/stimulation. These two approaches were then measured against a "psycho-social profile" which is based on material conditions and the developmental stages of the children. Instructions were given to the experimental group on how to brush their teeth. They were supervised, reinforced and stimulated for a period of six months, with a post-test assessment. The control group was only given instructions on how to brush their teeth and supervised. A scale based on Massler's classification was used to determine the developmental stages. Standardized indices were used to evaluate the dependent variable: Plaque Index and Gingival Index. The results showed that: the material living conditions and developmental stage of the child are elements that influence the assimilation of pre-established behavior, the basis of preventive programs.