EC Paediatrics

Early prevention in oral medicine is particularly relevant as well as health education programs. The present research fits to the situation-context of message communication on oral health education. Through a questionnaire based on Tooth Fairy Myth, fifty children (6 - 12 years), were asked to describe the appearance, characteristics, and actions regarding the Tooth Fairy. The resource to the symbolic, by the means of puppets-theatre, acts as an “imaginary - transmitter”, thus motivating the child to develop imagination, creativeness and enabling the improvement of the visual-motor perception. In the field of oral health promotion, the finger-puppet theatre movie appears as a child’s “imagination performer”, at the level of information given on oral health, namely in what concerns the oral routine of hygiene and the promotion of healthy eating behaviours.

Keywords: Oral Health Education; Children; Tooth Fairy Myth; Health Education Instruments

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