Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Journal of Caring Sciences 2251-9920 8 2 2019 06 01 The Effect of Oral Health Promotion Program on Early Dental Decay in Students: a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial 105 110 10.15171/jcs.2019.015 EN Vahid Naseri Salahshour https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3454-4490 Hamid Abredari https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5078-1421 Mahbobeh Sajadi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6770-2072 Masoumeh Sabzaligol https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5565-9529 Mahmood Karimy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8413-1942 Journal Article 10.15171/jcs.2019.015 2017 10 30 2018 08 04 Introduction: The use of different models play a significant role in health education and its promotion. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effect of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on early dental decay in elementary students. Methods: This study was a single-blinded, cluster randomized controlled trial, in which 470 elementary students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades in Saveh, Iran were participated. A demographic questionnaire and a 5-item questionnaire consisting of questions on awareness, attitude, practice, tooth brushing, diet and referring to dentist, were used to data collection. The samples of the intervention (n=234) and control (n=236) groups filled out the questionnaires before intervention (pre-test), immediately after intervention and one month after intervention. The educational intervention based on the TPB was held in three 45-minute sessions. Finally, the data were analyzed, using the SPSS version 13. For analyzing, the Independent t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA were used. Results: This study showed that there is a significant difference in the mean scores obtained from knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention and behavior among students in the experimental group (immediately after and one month after the intervention) and students in the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that using of TPB, as a framework for providing behavior-led training, can be effective in promoting oral and dental health of students. Nurses as an important member of the treatment team can use the results of this study in school health programs.