Don't Rush with Your Brush: An In Vitro Study on Toothbrush Hygiene.

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual (AV) aids in creating awareness of toothbrush hygiene. This randomized trial study was conducted on 40 children aged 6-11 years. Children were given soft toothbrushes and then collected after brushing for 14 days. The toothbrushes were collected and sent to the laboratory for microbial culture evaluation. A questionnaire consisting of various questions regarding daily toothbrush hygiene practices was filled by the parents at the same time. After 14 days, brushes were collected, and the parents were shown an AV aid regarding toothbrush decontamination, parental awareness, and supervision. Those children were given new sets of toothbrushes and instructed to decontaminate them with chlorhexidine solution. After 14 days, the same questionnaire was filled out by the parents and toothbrushes were collected and immediately sent to the laboratory for microbial culture evaluation. All the sampled toothbrushes had significant (p < 0.001) bacterial growth after 14 days of use. The use of disinfectant led to a 99.98% reduction in microbial colony counts. Hence, showed a significant result. Questionnaire analysis showed a positive parental approach toward maintaining toothbrush hygiene. Cleaning and disinfection of toothbrushes is crucial to stop the spread of disease since bacterial contamination cannot be 100% eliminated. AV aids can be effective tools for increasing awareness. Through this study, we want to emphasize toothbrush hygiene and create awareness for the same through AV aid because a healthy toothbrush leads to healthy oral health. Sharma S, Tandon S, Rai TS, et al. Don't Rush with Your Brush: An In Vitro Study on Toothbrush Hygiene. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):162-167.