Effectiveness of Health Education Using Animation Compared to Traditional Education Methods on Health Knowledge and Behavior and Periodontal Indices of 13-15 Years Old Students from Selected Schools in Sari City

Background and purpose: Utilizing engaging techniques, such as animation, to educate adolescents about oral health can significantly impact their knowledge and behavior, resulting in the prevention of periodontal diseases. The current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of health education utilizing animation vs traditional education methods in improving adolescents' attitudes, behavior, and periodontal markers. Materials and methods: In this interventional study, 371 students aged 13 to 15 were randomly selected by cluster sampling and divided into two groups: control (187 students) and intervention (184 students). Questionnaires and clinical examinations of the Gingival Index (GI), Plaque Index (PI), and Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI) were completed before and four weeks following the intervention, and the data were entered into the SPSS software (v. 23). The independent t-test and covariance analysis were used to analyze the data, and P