Abstract

PURPOSE: To compare the ability of three-to four-year-old children in performing toothbrushing with manual versus battery-powered toothbrushes with and without oral hygiene instructions.

METHODS: This study was a randomized, controlled, examiner-blind, 4-period crossover design performed on 50 healthy children, ages 3 to 4 years old. Children were assigned either a manual or power toothbrush at visit one and alternated between the two types of toothbrushes each week, for four weeks. Plaque was scored before and after brushing using the Greene and Vermillion -Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. 18,19 At their last two visits of the study, the children received brushing instructions (BI). The data was analyzed to detect plaque reduction using the Two Sample t-test at the significance level of α: = 0.05, comparing each visit's plaque indices.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in plaque removal between manual vs. power toothbrushes without brushing instructions (p = 0.975), nor was there a difference when BI were given (p = 0.051). The difference in plaque scores was not statistically significant whether or not brushing instructions were given when using the manual (p = 0.652) or the power toothbrush (p = 0.198).

CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the children's plaque scores when using the manual compared to the power toothbrushes whether or not they received brushing instructions.

_____________________________

18. Greene JC, Vermillion JR. The simplified oral hygiene index. J Am Dent Assoc. 68:25-31, 1964.

19. Wei SHY, Lang NP: Periodontal epidemic logical indices for children and adolescents: II. Evaluation of oral hygiene; III. Clinical applications. Pediatric Dentistry 4:64-73, 1982.

LLU Discipline

Pediatric Dentistry

Department

Pediatric Dentistry

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

John Peterson

Second Advisor

Richard Grabowsky

Third Advisor

J. Todd Milledge

Fourth Advisor

Wesley Okumura

Fifth Advisor

Joni Stephens

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.A.

Year Degree Awarded

2006

Date (Title Page)

6-2006

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Oral Hygiene -- in infancy and childhood; Tooth brushing; Dental plaque -- prevention and control

Type

Thesis

Page Count

ix; 20

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

Download

Share

COinS