LAUSR

AIM In Cambodia, civil unrest has led to insufficient and inaccessible dental health services. Oral health education and awareness are lacking, thus childhood dental caries is highly prevalent. This study aimed to examine the effects of an oral health education programme for public primary school teachers on the pupils' oral health. METHODS Between 2011 and 2015, an oral health education workshop was presented annually to primary school educators employed at a public school in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Oral screenings of 2,637 pupils (grades 1-6; subdivided between the lower 1-3 and upper 4-6 grades) were undertaken and the prevalence of dental caries, mean number of DFT, and mean percentage of DFT rate were calculated. CONCLUSION Despite the persistently high prevalence of dental caries, the oral health status of the schoolchildren improved every year. Participation in the workshops may have improved the teachers' ability to provide oral healthcare instructions, leading to the reduced dental caries prevalence among pupils.