Latar belakang: Anak penyandang sindroma Down mengalami keterlambatan perkembangan, terutama kemampuan kognitifnya. Hal ini menyebabkan rendahnya pengetahuan terhadap kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Metodeedutainmentdapat digunakan sebagai pendekatan khusus dalam mengedukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut anak penyandang sindroma Down, menggunakan alat permainan edukatif busy book. Anak penyandang sindroma Down belajar dengan baik secara visual, oleh karena itu busy bookdapat dibuat sesuai dengan kondisi anak dalam memberikan edukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut Metode: Penelitian eksperimental klinis ini terdiri dari 30 anak penyandang sindroma Down dengan rentang usia 8-13 tahun; dengan 15 anak mendapatkan edukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut menggunakan busy book, dan 15 anak mendapatkan secara verbal konvensional. Rentang umur subjek dipilih setelah disesuaikan dengan mental anak normal usia prasekolah. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di tujuh Sekolah Dasar Luar Biasa di DKI Jakarta dan Yayasan POTADS. Delta skor pengetahuan kesehatan gigi dan mulut pada anak penyandang sindroma Down pada kelompok busy bookdan kelompok verbal konvensional dianalisis perbedaannya menggunakan independent T-test(nilai p<0.05). Hasil: Terdapat perbedaan bermakna antara delta skor pengetahuan kesehatan gigi dan mulut anak penyandang sindroma Down melalui edukasi dengan busy bookdan verbal konvensional. Kesimpulan: Alat permainan edukatif busy bookdapat menjadi media pembelajaran efektif dalam mengedukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut anak penyandang sindroma Down.

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Introduction: Children with Down Syndrome are developmentally delayed particularly in cognitive ability, and it affects their oral health knowledge. An edutainment method can be used as special approach to educate them regarding the oral health knowledge, using the busy book. Down syndrome children has strength in visual memory, therefore the busy book has been customized for Down syndrome children to help them in learning the DHE.

Methods: This experimental clinical study included 30 Down Syndrome children (aged 8-13); 15 children had DHE using busy book (experiment group) and 15 children (control group) had conventional verbal DHE. The study was conducted in 7 special primary schools in Jakarta and POTADS foundation. This age range was chosen after adjustment of mental age of children without Down Syndrome. The scores of the dental health knowledge of children in experiment and control group were analysed and their differences measured using independent T-test (with p value <0.05)

Results: There is a statistically significant difference between delta score of dental health knowledge after DHE using busy book and after conventional verbal DHE (P<.05).

Conclusion: Busy book appears to be an effective learning tool for dental health education in Down Syndrome children.