Oral health care in preschool education through cooperative learning

Abstract

This article presents the diagnostic stage of a project for managing contextualized learning at Estefanía Castañeda Kindergarten in the municipality of Coatzintla, Veracruz, Mexico. The general objective is to promote oral health care in preschool children to contribute to their comprehensive development. It is a qualitative research study using the action-research methodology. Work was carried out with 20 students: 8 boys and 12 girls attending the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades of preschool. Four instruments were applied to carry out the diagnosis: a learning styles test, another instrument for students on oral health, one for parents, and a semi-structured interview for the group’s lead teacher. Among the most relevant results, we found that 60% of the children do not brush their teeth three times a day; 67% have experienced tooth pain; 30% have gum pain, and 20% of the children are undergoing some type of dental treatment. In conclusion, it is necessary for children to learn to care for and maintain proper oral health. For this, cooperative learning is proposed as a pedagogical strategy.