EVALUATION ON STUDENTS’ LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ON CORRECT TOOTHBRUSHING TECHNIQUES AMONG 2 SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ORO, IREPODUN, KWARA STATE

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:
1. Department of Public Health
2. Department of Community Health
3. Department of Health Education
4. Department of Dental Health / Oral Health Sciences

TOPIC: EVALUATION ON STUDENTS’ LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ON CORRECT TOOTHBRUSHING TECHNIQUES AMONG 2 SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ORO, IREPODUN, KWARA STATE

TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 
1.2 Statement of the Problem 
1.3 Objective of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypothesis
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study 
1.8 Definition of Terms  
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Review
2.2 Theoretical Framework 
2.3 Empirical Review 
2.4 Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY    
3.1 Research Design    
3.2 Research Setting         
3.3 Target population                                  
3.4 Sample size 
3.5 Sampling technique    
3.6 Instruments for data collection     
3.7 Validity and Reliability of Instrument
3.8. Pilot Study    
3.9 Method of data collection 
3.10 Method of data analysis     
 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Data Presentation
4.2 Demographic Analysis 
4.3 Analysis of the Current Level of Knowledge Regarding Proper Brushing Techniques Among Secondary School Students in Oro
4.4 Analysis of Common Misconceptions and Incorrect Practices Related to Brushing
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.1 Discussion of Findings    
5.2 Implications of findings to nursing                            
5.3 Limitations of the study                            
5.4 Summary of the study                                      
5.5 Conclusion                                    
5.6 Recommendations                                 
5.7 Suggestions for further studies 
References
Appendix

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to evaluate students’ level of knowledge on correct toothbrushing techniques among two selected secondary schools in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. The study was specifically carried out to assess the current level of knowledge regarding proper brushing techniques among secondary school students in Oro, identify common misconceptions and incorrect practices related to brushing, investigate potential barriers that hinder students from adopting correct brushing techniques, and compare the level of knowledge between Oro Grammar School and Modern College School, Oro. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. Hence, a structured questionnaire was used for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation. The hypothesis test was conducted using independent sample t-test statistical tool. The population of the study was 1,019 students comprising Oro Grammar School with 643 students and Modern College School, Oro with 376 students, while a sample size of 287 was determined using Taro Yamane formula and a validated sample of 272 respondents was used through stratified and convenience sampling techniques. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings reveal that students demonstrated a high level of knowledge on correct toothbrushing techniques with an overall mean score of 3.61 and standard deviation of 0.84. The study also showed that misconceptions and incorrect practices exist among students, particularly on brushing frequency and technique. Furthermore, barriers such as lack of routine and occasional forgetfulness were identified, while the comparative analysis revealed no significant difference between Oro Grammar School and Modern College School students at t = 1.12, df = 270, p = 0.264. The study therefore recommends that schools should strengthen oral health education, parents should reinforce proper brushing habits at home, and health agencies should organize regular oral hygiene awareness programs in secondary schools.
Keywords: Toothbrushing Techniques, Oral Health, Secondary School Students, Knowledge Level, Oral Hygiene Education.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background of the Study
Health-related behaviours are still an integral part of life and are affecting people's health throughout the lifespan. Health education has been well accepted as a mechanism for influencing preventive practices and individual lifestyle choices especially among adolescents who are at a developmental stage of behavioural formation (Gupta et al., 2024). Modern Public health programs prioritise embedding hygiene education within preschools to encourage sustainable hygiene practices. (Santhosh et al., 2024). Likewise, Dewi et al. (2025) stated that health teaching in an institutional environment has a positive effect on learners' self-care skills. Similarly, Bramantoro et al. (2021) pointed out how health promoting information, which is constantly repeated, is a way of instilling preventive health behaviours. All of these views highlight the importance of health knowledge learning as one of the factors determining changes in health behavior and lay the groundwork for studying health-related behaviors, such as oral care behaviors of young people in schools.
Oral health is an integral part of overall health and refers to the health of the teeth, gums and other related structures of the mouth. The importance of good oral hygiene in the prevention of dental caries, periodontal diseases and other oral complications is widely understood (Osuh et al., 2023). As a fundamental preventive method, brushing is of utmost importance in oral hygiene, as it eliminates plaque and food debris that can build up on the teeth. Fagbule et al. (2023) noted that regular and proper brushing can help to minimize the accumulation of microbes, thereby promoting gingival health. Iba & Adamu (2021) also highlighted the importance of acquired knowledge and routine practice acquired at an early age on oral hygiene behaviours. Likewise, Geda et al. (2025) found that knowledge about oral hygiene principles was inadequate and this was associated with poor brushing practices, which highlights the need for dissemination of proper knowledge for oral health promotion.
The correct toothbrushing methods include the systematic use of mechanical plaque removal that is aimed to thoroughly clean all the tooth surfaces. Modified Bass method, circular and vertical brushing patterns are frequently suggested to provide a helpful method of plaque control and gingival stimulation. The use of proper brushing techniques is crucial for improving oral hygiene, as mastery of such has been shown to significantly improve the outcome of such practice compared to random or forceful brushing behaviours as noted by Chukwuma et al (2024). Chinonyerem et al. (2026) found that in most instances, adolescents are not competent in toothbrushing techniques, as they exhibit different levels of competence based on their exposure to structured education on oral health. Akinbode et al. (2024) also stated that knowledge gained is a significant determinant of proper technique application and Osadolor (2025), stated that instructional reinforcement and personal understanding have an impact on behaviour consistency. The findings reveal that knowledge level is one of the important factors which influences the proper brushing behavior among learners.
In school settings, especially in secondary schools, the oral hygiene habits are related to educational exposure, peer interaction and institutional health programmes. Secondary school students are an important population to determine oral health knowledge as they are in a transitional period of behaviour and cognitive development. Oral health education in Nigeria is still an important aspect of the school health programmes but the effectiveness of the programme is varying from region/state to region/state and from school to school (Iba & Adamu, 2021). The knowledge of correct toothbrushing technique among students in Kwara State, especially in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area is because of both formal and informal learning. The different study results by Geda et al. (2025) and Bramantoro et al. (2021) indicate that contextual factors like campaigns carried out in school and availability of oral hygiene services have a significant impact on knowledge level. Hence, it is within this context that this study is conducted in two selected secondary schools of Oro, which is about the awareness of students' oral health by exploring their knowledge of proper toothbrushing methods.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Incorporating oral health education in school has become a critical part of the preventive health program in order to enhance the long-term health of adolescents. It is acknowledged that educational institutions are an excellent platform for implementing correct health behaviours, as they are the places where learners undergo a structured learning process and are in constant contact with them (Gupta et al., 2024; Santhosh et al., 2024). Besides that, Dewi et al. (2025) also stated that health-related knowledge learned by adolescents can have a long-term impact on maintaining personal hygiene.Furthermore, Bramantoro et al. (2021) emphasized that health-related knowledge learned by adolescents can affect the sustainability of the application of personal hygiene. Oral hygiene education, especially the technique of toothbrushing, is an important part of school health education programmes promoting the awareness of the students in preventive dental care.
Although much attention is given to education about oral hygiene, there is evidence that the knowledge and habits of secondary school students in brushing their teeth are still insufficient. Adolescents have been found to have common teeth brushing mistakes that lead to bad oral health outcome and vulnerability to dental diseases (Osuh et al., 2023; Fagbule et al., 2023). Likewise, Chinonyerem et al. (2026) and Chukwuma et al. (2024) found that many students are not well informed about the recommended brushing technique, with some having ineffective brushing techniques and others practicing irregular brushing. A student should ideally have a good understanding of correct brushing techniques (angles, length of time and frequency) as a product of oral health instruction in school. However, there is a gap between the expected level of knowledge and actual practice, which might suggest that there are gaps in health education training or implementation, or gaps in knowledge retention by learners.
This knowledge gap indicates that context-specific evaluation is needed in various education contexts to check how much students do or do not know about oral hygiene practices. Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State has limited evidence of empirical study on the level of knowledge of the secondary school students on good toothbrushing practice and the health education campaigns are still continuing. The inconsistencies observed in health knowledge among learners as identified by Akinbode et al., (2024) and Osadolor (2025) could be attributed to the differences in the health knowledge instructional methods and exposure to the health knowledge. But the studies so far failed to delve into this aspect in the selected secondary schools in the study area, and thus no data on this aspect could be found in the study area. This study therefore, aims to help fill this gap by assessing secondary school students' knowledge of proper toothbrushing methods in two secondary schools selected in Oro, Irepodun, Kwara State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine students’ level of knowledge on correct toothbrushing techniques among 2 selected secondary schools in Oro, Irepodun, Kwara State. The specific objectives of the study seek:
➤ To evaluate the current level of knowledge regarding proper brushing techniques among secondary school students in Oro.
➤ To identify common misconceptions and incorrect practices related to brushing.
➤ To investigate potential barriers that hinder students from adopting correct brushing techniques.
➤ To compare the level of knowledge between the two selected secondary schools.
➤ To provide recommendations for improving oral health education in Nigerian secondary schools.
OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypothesis
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8  Operational Definitions of Terms:

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (Preview)
This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of oral hygiene, the concept of toothbrushing, correct toothbrushing techniques, students’ level of knowledge of correct toothbrushing techniques, factors influencing students’ knowledge of toothbrushing techniques, and the importance of proper toothbrushing in preventing oral diseases. The chapter covers the following subheadings:
2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY (Preview)
Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.
Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises all secondary school students in Oro Grammar School and Modern College School, Oro, in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine a sample size of 287 participants.
Sampling Technique: The study employed a multi-stage sampling technique involving purposive, stratified, and convenience sampling procedures to select the individual respondents.
Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.
Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as the t-test, were used to test the hypotheses.

CHAPTER FOUR; DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)
The analysis results were presented in tables. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following findings are made:

i. The study found that students in Oro Grammar School and Modern College School, Oro, demonstrate a high level of knowledge of correct toothbrushing techniques, as evidenced by an overall mean score of 3.61 and a standard deviation of 0.84, indicating a high level of knowledge. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a t-value of 1.12, degree of freedom of 270, and p-value of 0.264 (p > 0.05), leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the level of knowledge of students from the two selected secondary schools on correct toothbrushing techniques.

ii. The study found that students demonstrate awareness of common misconceptions and incorrect toothbrushing practices, as evidenced by their responses on the use of recommended brushing techniques, the frequency of brushing, brushing pressure, rinsing after brushing, toothpaste selection, and night-time brushing. However, some students still hold misconceptions and engage in incorrect practices, particularly regarding brushing once daily and brushing hard to remove stains.

iii. The study found that students’ adoption of correct toothbrushing techniques is influenced by access to toothbrushes and toothpaste, oral health education, guidance on proper brushing, time constraints, parental encouragement, and the development of regular brushing routines. The findings indicate that most students have access to oral hygiene materials and receive encouragement and guidance, although some still experience challenges related to brushing routines and the perceived time required for proper brushing.

CHAPTER FIVE:  DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter covers the following outline:
5.1 Discussion of Findings  
5.2 Implication of the Findings 
5.3 Limitations of the Study 
5.4 Summary 
5.5 Conclusion
5.6 Recommendations
5.7. Suggestions for Further Studies

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