Introduction: Oral diseases represent a major public health problem, particularly among children and adolescents. Oral health education during childhood plays a crucial role in shaping behavioral patterns and habits that influence oral health later in life. In this regard, the careful selection and combination of appropriate learning formats and learning methods are essential, as they significantly contribute to a better understanding, the development of healthy habits, and the prevention of oral diseases. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate, based on a literature review, the learning formats and learning methods used in oral health education to promote oral health among primary school children. Methods: A descriptive approach was used, involving a literature review. A literature review was conducted in the databases of the University of Ljubljana Digital Library, CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the Google Scholar search engine. The analysis included scientific articles published between January 2015 and May 2026 that addressed learning methods and learning formats for oral health education for school children. The search focused on literature published in english and slovenian. Results: A review of the literature has shown that interactive, visually supported, and game-based learning methods are most commonly used, with the most frequently highlighted being operational-practical learning methods, as well as demonstration, documentation, and verbal learning methods, such as the explanatory learning method and the conversational learning method. Combining different learning formats and learning methods helps capture attention and foster understanding of the instructional content among diverse groups of primary school children of varying ages, developmental stages, and learning styles. Among the most frequently mentioned learning formats are group work, individual work, and lecture-style instruction. Discussion and Conclusion: Oral health education for primary school children makes a significant contribution to disease prevention, the maintenance of oral health, and oral hygiene. Its effectiveness depends on the appropriate selection and combination of learning formats and learning methods tailored to children’s needs. Further research could contribute to the development of more effective oral health education programs for primary school children.
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