The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the preliminary results of a school-based oral health educational
strategy adopted in public primary schools from the city of Maringa, State of Parana, Brazil. The study sample
was composed by 556 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years old, 124 schoolteachers and a group of 55
mothers. The educational approach was implemented for 18 months and consisted of reinforcements of interventions
addressed to students and schoolteachers at school level and few activities targeted at the mothers, performed by
means of home visits. Baseline and follow-up interviews focused on oral health care were undertaken for the entire
study population. As a stimulus for the students to achieve proper oral hygiene habits, the simplified oral hygiene
index was assessed at three different moments. A statistically significant improvement in their oral hygiene index
(p