Explanation of Elementary School Health Educators' Experiences of Orthodontics on Students' Oral Health: A Qualitative Study

Mohaddese  Sharifi; Hossein agha  Aghili; Khadijeh  Nasiriani; Sadra  Sadri

doi:10.18502/ssu.v33i11.21069

Mohaddese Sharifi Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Hossein agha Aghili Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Khadijeh Nasiriani Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Comprehensive Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Sadra Sadri Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoghi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v33i11.21069

Keywords: Experience, Health educators, Student, Orthodontics, Oral health, Qualitative study.

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood orthodontics can prevent or reduce the severity of various facial abnormalities, thereby improving the quality of life for individuals in adulthood. Elementary schools serve as one of the most effective environments for assessing children's oral health, with health educators playing a key role in this field. This study was conducted with the aim of explaining the experiences of elementary school health educators on orthodontic treatments on severe maxillofacial disorders of students in the future.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using content analysis. The participants were 20 school health educators from primary schools in Yazd who were purposively selected. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews and continued until data saturation. Data analysis was performed according to the Granheim and Landman model.

Results: Three main categories were identified, which include "the necessity to enhance school awareness,” "the appropriate attitude of school health educators towards orthodontics,” and "the need to improve the performance of school health educators in oral hygiene".

Conclusion: The findings indicate that while educators' attitudes towards early orthodontic treatment are appropriate, there is a need for improvement in their knowledge and performance. This necessitates greater involvement from educational and healthcare organizations in this field. Additionally, it is also recommended to implement measures such as periodical oral and dental examinations for students by health staff as well as providing general and specialized courses for health educators in the field of oral and dental health, along with covering medical service costs.