Modified Snakes and Ladders Game as an Alternative Educational Media for Dental Caries Prevention among Elementary School Children

Abstract

Dental caries is one of the most common oral health problems experienced by school-age children, particularly those aged 6–14 years, who are considered a vulnerable and critical age group for the development of dental caries. This study aimed to determine the difference in knowledge about dental caries before and after counseling using a modified snakes and ladders game as an educational media among students of class 3A and 3B at Wachid Hasyim 2 Elementary School, Surabaya. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a one group pretest–posttest approach. The population consisted of all students in class 3A and 3B at Wachid Hasyim 2 Elementary School, Surabaya. A total of 44 students were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The analysis showed a p-value < 0.05, indicating a significant difference in knowledge about dental caries before and after counseling using the modified snakes and ladders game as educational media. In conclusion, counseling using a modified snakes and ladders game is effective in improving knowledge about dental caries among elementary school students.

Keywords: dental caries knowledge; snakes and ladders game media; elementary school students