Comparison of Efficacy of Different Supervision Methods of Toothbrushing on Dental Plaque Scores in 7-9-year-old Children

4/1/2021 Background and objectives: The efficiency of mechanical plaque control in children not only depends on the type of oral aids they use but also on the instructions, training, and motivation given to them. To compare the efficiency of different methods of personal supervision of toothbrushing in reducing the dental plaque levels in 7-9-year-old schoolchildren.

Materials and methods: A parallel designed double-blinded randomized study was conducted in a private school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from September 2018 to December 2018. The children were allocated randomly into two groups based on the type of supervision given. Plaque scores examination was carried out at four intervals as baseline, 7th day, 14th day, and 90th day.

Results: Plaque scores reduced after 7 days in all groups, even though there was no statistically significant difference observed. At the final examination of plaque scores (90th day), there was a highly statistically significant reduction observed in group I and II compared to group III where the reduction was less evident.

Conclusion: Supervision of toothbrushing in the correct way was effective in reducing the plaque scores. Our study benefited both parents and children in understanding the correct method of brushing and the importance of plaque control.