Jaz Pearl C. Agusdan | Kesia C. Ayangdan | Jhoniellace D. Basilio
Adelfa K. Dallapas | Anjanette Lyka D. Linaza
School of Dentistry
Dr. Maria Lourdes E. Cantor Adviser
ABSTRACT
Oral health is essential to general health and quality of life. The condition of the primary teeth affects the development of the succedaneous tooth. It also affects the performance of the pre-school children in school. Poor oral health can disturb well-being and self-esteem. Early oral hygiene education of the preschoolers will develop a good oral health habit as they grow older. Educating preschool children in the language they understand will help them grasp the information easily. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using mother tongue (Kankana-ey) as a medium of communication in the oral hygiene education of the preschool children in Lanas Day Care Center, Buguias, Benguet. The preschool children showed improvement in their hygiene performance scores which was from fair to good, proving that the method that was used in the intervention was effective. Teaching proper oral hygiene using mother tongue is one effective way for learners to easily grasp information especially for young children.
Key words: Mother tongue, proper oral hygiene, preschoolers, intervention, patient hygiene
performance
