There are many dental problems that need intervention, and these problems affect different demographic groups. According to a study Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.), severe gum disease affects about 23 percent of people aged between 65 and 74 in U.S. The same study shows that severe gum disease is more likely to affect low-income earners. A different study conducted among elementary school children from poor background in California revealed that 73 per cent had dental caries (University of South California, n.d.) . Dental public health entails taking preventive and corrective measures to enhance the overall health and avert the risks that face particular populations. Education is one of the handy tools in dental public health.
Education and health are interdependent; an unhealthy student may not be able to perform well in school while those who lack basic education may not be acquainted with the lifestyle habits, they need to adopt to say healthy (Nathe, 2001). While most people think education in public dental health is just about community health campaigns; the role of education goes beyond that. Other forms of education such as formal education also play a part. Education equips learners with fundamental knowledge, skills, expertise, and self-regulation; all these are critical aspects of health (Nathe, 2001). Not all education happens in a formal setting; both formal and informal education enhances dental health. The role of education in public dental health revolves around programs that aim to bridge knowledge gaps between different populations and formal education. Also, education can be considered a personal attribute that contributes to an individual’s health (Hahn & Truman, 2015) .
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Community education programs aim at bridging gaps in health education that result from different social factors or lack of sufficient exposure to formal education. Such programs target entire populations rather than individuals. Oral diseases can be prevented through proper diet, dental checkups, and proper care. But such measures may be absent in certain populations due to lack of information and social factors such as income inequalities. In the Centers for Disease Control Study (n.d.), it was revealed that severe dental illnesses are more likely to affect low-incomes societies that high-income populations. Low-income populations are more vulnerable to disease to inadequate health resources such as education, a clean environment, and healthy foods. (Hahn & Truman, 2015) When educational gaps cause dental ill health, one of the intervention methods used is carrying out public education campaigns. The content in such campaigns can be delivered to the targeted population through social media, workbooks and brochures, and community events.
The level of formal education is a population is one of the factors that determine how healthy a community. It is in school that children can be taught the preventive and corrective measure than can improve their dental health. School also gives the learners the emotional intelligence and problem-solving skill required to navigate different health problems: “ Education improves health because it increases effective agency, enhancing a sense of personal control that encourages and enables a healthy lifestyle. Education’s beneficial effects are pervasive, cumulative, and self-amplifying, growing across the life course” (Hahn & Truman, 2015, p. 664) . The role of informal education cannot be understated. Children in the United States spend more time with their families than in school. That means that the knowledge the child receives outside class has a significant impact on their individual health. Since the health of a community depends on the individual health of the people in that community, formal and informal education are part public health
In conclusion, education has a prominent role in dental public health. Community education programs target populations that la g behind in terms of knowledge, and they aim to improve the overall health. Formal and informal education determines a person’s health knowledge, skills, and attitude. By increasing the level of individual health consciousness, education improves the overall health of communities.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Dental Sealants. Retrieved September 13, 2015, from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/dental_sealant_program/index.htm?_ga=2.98594141.2100151016.1568484070-1684717028.1568484070
Hahn, R. A., & Truman, B. I. (2015). Education Improves Public Health and Promotes Health Equity. Internation Journal of Health Service , 657-658.
Nathe, C. N. (2001). Dental public health: Contemporary practice for the dental hygienist (pp. 118-20). Prentice Hall.
University of South California. (n.d.). Poor Oral Health Can Mean Missed School, Lower Grades. Retrieved September 13, 2019, from University of South California: https://dentistry.usc.edu/2012/08/10/poor-oral-health-can-mean-missed-school-lower-grades/?_ga=2.98594141.2100151016.1568484070-1684717028.1568484070
