Using Smartphone Technology to Impart Basic Pediatric Dentistry Knowledge to Early Childhood Educators: a Preliminary Study

This study aimed to evaluate the use of web-based educational slides providing an-ticipatory guidance on infant oral health and early-childhood caries（ECC）to early-child-hood educators. Slides containing basic guidance in the areas of oral hygiene, fluoride use, the acquisition of oral bacteria, the causes and sequelae of ECC, and the importance of dental visits were provided using smartphones. A test based on six key questions was conducted to evaluate the oral health knowledge of the educators（n=123）be-fore and after viewing the slides. A survey was used to receive participants’ feedback after viewing the slides. A significant improvement in knowledge was observed as assessed by the mean proportion of correct responses following a single viewing of the slides（47±17.8%, p<0.001）. More than 85% of the participants answered positively on the survey about the slides. Web-based educational slides on smartphones can be an effective way to improve educators’ awareness of infant oral health and prevention of ECC.