Knowledge of Dental Caries Through the Use of the Snakes and Ladders Game Among Fourth-Grade Students (A Study At UPT SDN Pulorejo, Jombang)

Abstract

“Dental and oral health are an important part of overall health, especially among elementary school-aged children, who are at a relatively high risk of developing dental caries. Preliminary observations of fourth-grade students at SDN Pulorejo in Jombang indicate that the incidence of dental caries remains relatively high. Therefore, this study aims to describe the level of knowledge among fourth-grade students at SDN Pulorejo Jombang regarding dental caries before and after receiving health education using the Snakes and Ladders game as a teaching aid. This study employed a descriptive design with a sample size of 31 students. Data were collected through pretest and posttest questionnaires and analyzed descriptively using frequency distributions and mean values. The results showed that before the educational session, the students’ average level of knowledge was 48.38%, which fell into the “insufficent” category. After participating in the educational session using the “Snakes and Ladders” game, the average knowledge score increased to 77.09%, falling into the “good” category. Oral health education using the “Snakes and Ladders” game was effective in improving students’ knowledge of dental caries.”