Promoting Oral Health through Creative Media: A New Approach to Learning in Children

Abstract

          Introduction:  Oral health in early childhood and primary school age is essential to holistic well-being; however, dental caries remains highly prevalent due to inappropriate health behaviors. Creative educational games based on play-based learning concepts have the potential to enhance knowledge and sustainably improve oral health behaviors among children.

Objective: This research aimed to investigate the oral health problems among children aged 5–8 years and to develop a "creative game-based medium" to promote oral health knowledge and behaviors in this age group.

Methodology: A developmental research approach was employed. The sample comprised 20 children aged 5–8 years from Ban Suan Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chonburi Province, selected through purposive sampling based on their inappropriate oral health behaviors. Research instruments included questionnaires and a game medium designed according to principles of child developmental psychology using the Canva application, emphasizing active learning and participation.

Results: The study's findings are categorized into three aspects: 1) Current Situation: Dental caries prevalence remains high among children, primarily due to unsuitable dietary habits and a lack of fundamental oral care knowledge. 2) Game Development: The developed game was found to be engaging, easily understandable, and age-appropriate, fostering interest and learning through interactive activities such as simulated tooth brushing, food selection, and in-game rewards for achievements. 3) Post-Intervention: Following the use of the game medium, children demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and behavior. They were able to correctly identify tooth-friendly foods and brush their teeth according to established criteria, exhibiting increased motivation for oral health self-care.

Conclusion: The developed creative game media is an effective innovation that aligns with the concept of Health Promotion. It can be applied in families, schools, and communities to promote children's long-term oral health. Furthermore, from a policy perspective, the game-based media has the potential to be integrated into educational institutions and public health agencies to promote proactive health activities in schools and to be systematically scaled up, thereby reducing disparities in children’s access to health education media.