The House of the Little Tooth Diniz: An Oral Health Educational Project

Abstract

Dental caries is currently one of the major public health problems, given its high incidence among 6-12-year-old children. This age group of children is considered a priority group, due to the transitional period of the replacement of deciduous teeth. This article intends to present a ludic-pedagogical instrument for oral health education, targeted at these children, based on the learning of problems related to oral health through a story narrative and associated pictograms. By means of a health education manual with several pictorial representations of dentistry clinical acts, we intended to imagetically reinforce the therapeutic adherence of children to Paediatric Dentistry as well as oral health prevention care, which are considered determinant factors for oral health success amongst children. The choice of a handbook format for this purpose was considered a health education pedagogical strategy with added value to the Paediatric Dentistry appointment setting, granting patients an active and leading role in their therapeutic path. The handbook can also be of use to younger children, through parental storytelling, establishing a dyadic communication between parents, educators and professionals.