Assessment of brushing techniques taught by dental students to children in mixed dentition stage - A retrospective study

Abstract

Dentists play an important role in the primary prevention of dental problems in young through preventive treatments, risk assessment and anticipatory guidance for parents regarding oval development, caries prevention and overall oral health, including brushing techniques, fluoride toothpaste, brushing twice a day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the commonly used brushing technique by dental students during the mixed dentition stage. Data were retrieved from the dental records. Data of brushing techniques used in pediatric dentistry was collected from the patient management records of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Patients of 6–12 years with mixed dentition were shortlisted. Data obtained was tabulated in excel and analyzed using statistical software. Age distribution of this study was 6 years (6.2%), 7 years (15%), 8 years (19%), 9 years(16.4%), 10 years(15.3%), 11 years(13.6%), 12 years (14.2%). Gender distribution of this study was males (57%) and females (43%). Most commonly taught brushing technique by dental students during the mixed dentition stage was Fones brushing technique (73.5%) followed by the Modified Bass technique (19.1%) (p<0.05- significant). We can conclude by saying that the Fones brushing technique was the most commonly taught brushing technique by dental students during the mixed dentition stage with male predominance, and it was statistically significant.