Increasing oral hygiene behavior through correct habits of miswak on students of secondary school

Background: Poor oral hygiene increases the risk of dental caries. One of the efforts to improve oral hygiene is to remove plaque regularly by using miswak.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the effectivity of correct habits of miswak in improving oral hygiene behaviour in school children.

Material and methods: Study was given to 31 participants with an age range of 10-15 years at secondary school at Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. The method is carried out through 3 stages, which were the field data collection, field intervention, and the establishment of a sustainability program. Field data collection was carried out through a questionnaire method and skill assessment using miswak with a pre-test and post-test design. The intervention uses poster media, and to ensure the sustainability of program implementation, collaboration with institutions is carried out in the procurement of miswak facilities and mandatory miswak programs in the Madrasah environment. Indicator analysis was carried out through a paired 2-group comparative test with a 95% confidence level processed with IBM SPPS 21.

Results: Wilcoxon statistical test before and after the delivery of intervention materials showed an increase in knowledge and skills (p <0.05) of the participants. Increased awareness of oral hygiene behavior in intervention participants is known through increasing both knowledge and skills in maintaining oral hygiene before and after intervention.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that miswak is effective in improving oral hygiene behavior in school children aged 10-15 years.