Enhancing Preschool Children’s ToothbrushingIndependence Through Video TutorialEducation: A Study on Knowledge and Practices
Abstract
Preschool children represent a critical developmental stage in which foundational health behaviors, including
toothbrushing, begin to form. Although most Indonesian children aged ≥3 years brush their teeth daily, only a small proportion
do so correctly, resulting in persistently high rates of dental and oral health problems. This study addresses the problem of
low toothbrushing knowledge and inadequate brushing practices among preschool children. The aim of this research was to
evaluate the effectiveness of video tutorial–based dental health education in enhancing preschool children’s independence,
knowledge, and practical skills in toothbrushing. A pre-experimental study with a pre-test–post-test control group design was
conducted among 38 preschool children enrolled in Putra Harapan Kindergarten and Dewi Sartika Kindergarten, Tuban.
Participants were divided into an experimental group receiving video tutorial education and a control group receiving verbal
education only. Data on knowledge and toothbrushing practices were collected using structured observation sheets, and
analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann–Whitney U test. The results demonstrated a significant improvement
in both knowledge and toothbrushing practices in the experimental group after 21 days of intervention (p < 0.001). In contrast,
the control group showed no significant changes in either outcome. Between-group comparisons further indicated that video
tutorial education was significantly more effective than verbal instruction in increasing correct toothbrushing knowledge and
practices (p < 0.001). In conclusion, video tutorial media is an effective educational tool for enhancing preschool children’s
independence in toothbrushing. Its engaging visual format improves comprehension and encourages children to imitate proper
brushing movements, leading to better oral hygiene behaviors. The findings support the integration of video-based learning
into early childhood dental health programs and future studies with longer follow-up periods are recommended to assess
long-term behavioral retention.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Silvia Prasetyowati, Meyvilia Yunardi Saputri, Isnanto

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