<![CDATA[Dental caries is a public health problem with a high prevalence among school-aged children. at SD Negeri 01 Bandar Buat, Padang City, there were 322 cases of dental caries recorded, so an attractive health promotion strategy is needed that is in accordance with the characteristics of the digital generation. To determine the effect of animated video-based health promotion on knowledge of dental caries prevention in fifth-grade students of SD Negeri 01 Bandar Buat, Padang City. This study used a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of 86 fifth-grade students selected using purposive sampling. The instrument was a dental caries prevention knowledge questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. Media-based health promotion was carried out once through the screening of a 2–3-minute educational animated video. Data analysis used the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test with α=0.05. The average knowledge score increased from 14.38 (median 15) before media-based health promotion to 19.72 (median 20) afterward, with an average increase of 5.34 points or 37.10%. Before the media was provided, 54 students (62.8%) had sufficient knowledge, while after the media was provided, all students (100%) were in the good category. The Wilcoxon test showed a significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores (p<0.001; Z=-8.085). Health promotion based on animated video media not only increased knowledge but also has the potential to encourage student empowerment as peer educators and build collective awareness about dental health in the school environment. Animated video is an effective health promotion media in increasing knowledge of dental caries prevention and has the potential to be integrated into the School Dental Health Program (UKGS) as a relatively cost-effective, easily replicated, and appropriate strategy for the digital generation. These findings can be a basis for local health and education institutions to adopt animated media as an innovation in efforts to prevent dental caries more widely in the school environment.Keywords: Student Empowerment, Educational Videos, School Children's Oral Health; Media-Based Health Promotion, Knowledge, Dental Caries Prevention.]]>
