An educational lecture improves food consumption and oral hygiene of children aged 3 to 5

Educational/preventive strategies have been effective in reducing inequities that compromise oral health. Good oral hygiene and food selection can be decisive for adequate oral health. The present study aimed to verify the impact of a lecture on food consumption and oral hygiene on parents' perception of food selection and oral health of children aged 3 to 5 years from a public and a private school in cities from the north of the state of Goiás. Twenty-eight children from a public school and 31 from a private school and their respective guardians participated in the study. An educational lecture was held. A sociodemographic questionnaire and part of the questionnaire used by the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System were administered before the lecture and 60 days after it. The results showed that there was a difference in the perception of food selection and oral hygiene between the pre- and post-lecture time points (p=