The Effect of the Tooth-Brushing Demonstration Method on the Knowledge and Skills of Students with Intellectual Disabilities at the State Special School in Samarinda City

Abstract

Background: Oral health problems remain an important concern among students with intellectual disabilities, including students at the Samarinda State Special Education School, where 26 of 28 high-school students examined in 2025 (92.85%) had dental caries. Purpose: This study analyzed the effect of a toothbrushing demonstration method using a dental phantom on knowledge and toothbrushing skills among high-school students with intellectual disabilities. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted with 20 students from grades X–XII selected through total sampling. The intervention was delivered three times over three days, followed by a final posttest. Knowledge was measured using a 25-item questionnaire and skills using an observation checklist. Data were analyzed descriptively and with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Before intervention, 70.0% of students had good knowledge, while 15.0% had sufficient and 15.0% had poor knowledge. At the final posttest, 75.0% reached the very good category, 20.0% good, and 5.0% sufficient, with no students remaining in the poor category. For skills, 65.0% required guidance before intervention; after intervention, 60.0% were categorized as very good, 20.0% good, 10.0% sufficient, and 10.0% still required guidance. The Wilcoxon test showed p=0.000 for both knowledge and skills. Conclusions: The toothbrushing demonstration using a dental phantom was associated with significant improvements in knowledge and toothbrushing skills among the participating students. ty