Effectiveness of tailored oral health education based on different learning styles in children aged 10-12 years: An Interventional study

This interventional study evaluated the effectiveness of tailored oral health education based on individual learning styles in children aged 10–12 years. A total of 152 school children were assessed using the University of California Learning Style Questionnaire, of which 61 (40.1%) were visual learners, 37 (24.3%) auditory learners, and 28 (18.4%) tactile learners. Sixty children (20 from each dominant learning style) were selected for the intervention. Oral health knowledge regarding dental caries, dental trauma, and tooth brushing was assessed at baseline, immediately after intervention, and one week later using a validated questionnaire. Tailored education was delivered through visual (video on dental trauma), auditory (audio on dental caries), and tactile (hands-on tooth brushing demonstration) modes. Knowledge scores significantly improved immediately post-intervention in all groups, with visual learners showing the greatest gain in the visual mode and auditory learners showing significant improvement across all three modes. Although a slight decline occurred after one week, scores remained higher than baseline, indicating good knowledge retention. The study supports the use of tailored and multimodal oral health education in school children.