Impact of School-Based Periodontal Health Education Programs on Gingival Health in Adolescents: A Cluster-Randomized...

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to periodontal diseases due to inadequate oral hygiene practices and hormonal changes during puberty. School-based oral health education programs have emerged as a promising strategy for improving periodontal health by fostering awareness and encouraging positive behavior change.

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted among 480 adolescents aged 13-15 years from eight government schools in an urban district. The schools were randomly assigned into intervention (n = 240) and control (n = 240) groups. The intervention group received a bimonthly, interactive periodontal health education program over six months, including audiovisual modules, toothbrushing demonstrations, and peer-led activities. The control group received standard oral health pamphlets without active instruction. Gingival health was assessed using the gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) at baseline and after six months by calibrated examiners blinded to the allocation.

At baseline, there was no significant difference between the groups in mean GI and PI scores (P > 0.05). After six months, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in mean GI score from 1.89 ± 0.42 to 0.91 ± 0.27 (P < 0.001) and in PI score from 2.04 ± 0.35 to 1.03 ± 0.26 (P < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed only minor improvements in GI (1.87 ± 0.40 to 1.72 ± 0.39; P = 0.09) and PI scores (2.01 ± 0.38 to 1.93 ± 0.34; P = 0.11). The between-group differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001).

School-based periodontal health education programs significantly improve gingival and plaque scores in adolescents.