Background & Objectives: Periodontal disease is a common but preventable condition
characterised by chronic inflammation of the periodontium caused by microbial infection.

School-based oral health education can promote healthy behaviours and enhance periodon-
tal health. This study was to assess the effects of an interactive oral educational program

on periodontal status, oral hygiene, and related behaviours among 9th-grade students in
Nablus City. Method: A pre-test/post-test experimental design was conducted from 2023
to 2024 in governmental and private schools. A stratified random sampling procedure
selected 536 students for the intervention group and 410 for the control group. Baseline and
two-month follow-up data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire and clinical
examinations using the Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs (CPITN) and
the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (S-OHI). Statistical analysis (chi-square test; paired and

independent t-tests) was performed with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: At follow-
up, the intervention group showed significant reductions in CPITN (from 10.99 ± 2.77 to

10.00 ± 2.64; p < 0.001) and S-OHI (from 12.90 ± 3.10 to 10.89 ± 2.78; p < 0.001). Significant
improvements were also observed in oral hygiene practices, dietary habits, and smoking

behaviour scores (all p < 0.001). No significant changes occurred in the control group. Con-
clusions: The interactive, school-based oral health education program effectively improved

periodontal health, oral hygiene status, and related behaviours among adolescents.

Title

Children

Publisher

MDPI

Publisher Country

Switzerland

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

2.1

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

13

Year

2025

Pages

--