Oral Health Education Through Illustration

Abstract

American Indian preschool children experience almost three times the rate of untreated decay as children from other groups. There are many aspects to this problem but among them is the slow arrival of information to rural and remote areas. GoodHealthTV (GHTV) is designed to address this information gap and equip parents and families with information to improve overall oral health literacy and confidence in pursuing treatments for their loved ones. This project will consist of two parts; the first is the creation of scientific illustrations explaining a new dental procedure, and the second part is a survey measuring the effectiveness of the illustrations. Broadcasting high-quality information using the GHTV Network depends on strong communication skills, which will be demonstrated through the illustrations. The illustrations will depict complicated chemical processes in a way that benefits the lay audience member. GHTV provides healthcare information to waiting-room patients in 48 Montana IHS clinics. The scientific illustrations will show how silver diamine fluoride (SDF) acts on the tooth so that people will be more likely to allow dental hygienists to use SDF on their children’s teeth. Illustrations will be paired with voice-over text, music, and live footage to create a quality production for statewide viewership.

While the drawings are being aired on GHTV in the IHS clinics, surveys will be given to viewers to measure the effectiveness of the illustrations. If the illustrations are effective, parents will have an increased understanding of how SDF works and confidence in electing this new treatment.