Resumo

GUMEDE, S; SINGH, S  e  RADEBE, M. Educators' and caregivers' perspectives on an implemented oral health promotion event at special needs schools in eThekwini district: a qualitative study. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2024, vol.79, n.6, pp.319-323. ISSN 0375-1562.  https://doi.org/10.17159/sadj.v79i06.18903.

INTRODUCTION: The school setting is critical for supporting oral health self-care practices among learners with special needs. However, not much is known about how educators and caregivers engage with these initiatives AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to explore educators' and caregivers' perspectives on an implemented oral health promotion event conducted in special schools in the eThekwini district DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative research design METHODS: An oral health promotion event was conducted in 22 special schools; thereafter, purposive sampling was used to select educators and caregivers (7 participants) for a focus group discussion (FGD). One FGD was held per school (22 focus groups). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data RESULTS: The emergent themes included updated oral health self-care practices, perceived improvement in knowledge and oral hygiene skills and challenges in translating perceived improvements in knowledge into practice. Participants stated that the toothbrushing process and the three-step routine of toothbrushing were the most informative aspect of the event. However, lack of resources, financing and limited available time were cited as potential barriers to implementing such events CONCLUSION: Participants believed that such initiatives were valuable but that they must be implemented consistently and should be sustainable

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