[Oral health behavior in students in north Lebanon]

We conducted a study of the state of oral health among 600 twelve-year-old schoolchildren in North Lebanon. We assessed the range of behaviours linked to dental health: dental hygiene, eating habits, use of fluoride and use of dental health services. Half of the students brushed their teeth at least once a day. For 74% of the children, it was mainly their mothers who taught them how to brush their teeth. Toothbrushes and toothpaste were used by 75% of the children. About 82% had heard of fluoride but only 58% understood its usefulness. Four out of five children drank sugared drinks on a daily basis and 83% said that they had never been to the dentist. The information can serve as a basis for the development and implementation of health promotion and education programmes for oral health within schools.