Puppet Theater as a Strategy for Promoting Oral Self-Care in Children: An Experience Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12974/2311-8695.2025.13.03Keywords:
Games and Toys, Oral Health, ChildAbstract
Objective: To present an experience report on the use of puppet theater to provide oral health education to preschool children attending a public educational institution in Brazil. Methodology: An educational activity was carried out with 122 children aged 5 to 7 years. The puppet play lasted approximately 10 minutes. For the planning, development, and implementation of this educational action, the team organized itself with clearly defined responsibilities. The script addressed the following aspects: dental caries and its causes, toothbrushing technique and dental flossing, dental visits, and healthy eating. Experience Report: The children’s reactions revealed curiosity, expectation, and anxiety before the presentation; during the play, their responses shifted to fascination, joy, and motivation for new learning. By interacting playfully with the real world, the child establishes harmony and synchrony between imagination and reality, which facilitates the learning process. The drawings produced by the children after the activity were directly related to the theater’s theme, illustrating oral hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss. Conclusion: Puppet theater enables the presentation of health-related issues in a didactic and engaging manner, especially for children. In this experience, children demonstrated fascination, joy, and motivation toward acquiring new knowledge.
References
James SL, Abate D, Abate KH, Abay SM, Abbafati C, Abbasi N, Briggs AM. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 2018; 392(10159), 1789-1858.
Ladera-Castañeda M, Córdova-Limaylla NE, Briceño-Vergel G, Rosas-Díaz J C, Cervantes-Ganoza LA, Cayo-Rojas CF. Impact of Puppet Theater on Oral Health Knowledge and Oral Hygiene in Preschoolers from a Peruvian Educational Institution: A Quasi-experimental Study. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry. 2022; 12(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_212_21
Biesbrock AR, Walters PA, Bartizek RD. Initial impact of a national dental education program on the oral health and dental knowledge of children. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2003; 4(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5005/jcdp-4-2-1
Sparapani VD, Jacob E, de Montigny F, Pfeifer LI, Sposito AMP, de Lima RAG, Castanheira L. The use of puppets as a strategy for communicating with children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. 2014; 4(2), 186-194. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v4n2p186
Tilbrook A, Dwyer T, Reid-Searl K, Parson JA. A review of the literature–The use of interactive puppet simulation in nursing education and children's healthcare. Nurse Education in Practice. 2017; 22, 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.12.001
Rampaso DADL, Doria MAG, Oliveira MCMD, Silva GTRD. Puppet theatre as teaching strategy: a report of the experience. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem. 2011; 64, 783-785.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-71672011000400024
Sposito AMP, de Montigny F, Sparapani VDC, Lima RAGD, Silva‐Rodrigues FM, Pfeifer LI, Nascimento LC. Puppets as a strategy for communication with B razilian children with cancer. Nursing & health sciences. 2016; 18(1), 30-37.
Nazima TJ, Codo CRB, Paes IADC, Bassinell GAH. Orientação em saúde por meio do teatro: relato de experiência. Revista Gaúcha de enfermagem. 2008; 29(1), 147-147.
Cayo-Rojas CF, Santillán-Espadín KDR, Nicho-Valladares MK, Ladera-Castañeda MI, Aliaga-Mariñas AS, Cervantes-Ganoza LA. Knowledge about oral health, salivary PH, body mass index and its relationship with dental caries in preschool children. Revista de la Facultad de Medicina. 2021; 69(4). https://doi.org/10.15446/revfacmed.v69n4.88709
Blake H, Dawett B, Leighton P, Rose-Brady L, Deery C. School-based educational intervention to improve children’s oral health–related knowledge. Health promotion practice. 2015; 16(4), 571-582. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839914560568
Ghaffari, M, Rakhshanderou S, Ramezankhani A, Buunk‐Werkhoven YAB, Noroozi M, Armoon B. Are educating and promoting interventions effective in oral health?: A systematic review. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. 2018; 16(1), 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12305
Castilho ARFD, Mialhe FL, Barbosa TDS, Puppin-Rontani RM. Influence of family environment on children's oral health: a systematic review. Jornal de pediatria. 2013; 89, 116-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2013.03.014
Gudiño MR, & Sosenski S. El teatro guiñol, la televisión mexicana y la educación para la salud a mediados del siglo XX. História, Ciências, Saúde-Manguinhos. 2016; 24, 201-221. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-59702016005000027
Sosenski S. Niños limpios y trabajadores. El teatro guiñol posrevolucionario en la construcción de la infancia mexicana. Anuario de Estudios Americanos. 2010; 67(2), 493-518. https://doi.org/10.3989/aea.2010.v67.i2.517
Angelopoulou, M., Kavvadia, K., Oulis, C., & Reppa, C. Oral hygiene facilitators and barriers in Greek 10 years old schoolchildren. International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry. 2015; 8(2), 87. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1290
Kumar Y, Asokan S, John B, Gopalan T. Effect of conventional and game-based teaching on oral health status of children: a randomized controlled trial. International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry. 2015; 8(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1297
