Pengetahuan tentang Kebersihan Gigi dan Mulut pada Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar di SD Negeri 064969 Kecamatan Medan Tembung

Abstract

Dental and oral hygiene is an essential component of overall health, with dental health playing a crucial role in determining an individual's health status. According to the 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), the prevalence of dental and oral health issues in the past 12 months in North Sumatra Province was 19.4%. Among children aged 5-9 years, 10.4% experienced dental and oral health problems, while 1.3% of the total population in North Sumatra had dental caries. One of the primary causes of dental caries is a lack of knowledge about proper dental hygiene practices. Adequate knowledge of dental and oral hygiene is essential, particularly for school-age children. This study aims to assess the knowledge of elementary school children regarding dental and oral hygiene at SD Negeri 064969, Medan Tembung District. The study employed a quantitative descriptive design, with a sample of 55 elementary school students selected using a purposive sampling technique. The results showed that 43 students (78.2%) had good knowledge, 10 students (18.2%) had moderate knowledge, and 2 students (3.6%) had poor knowledge. It can be concluded that the majority of students had good knowledge of dental and oral hygiene. Therefore, schools are encouraged to continuously monitor and promote dental and oral hygiene among elementary school children.