How effective is a chewable brush in removing plaque in children? A pilot study

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the plaque removal efficiency of a chewable toothbrush (CB) in children. A total of 20 patients aged 10-12 years who attended to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry were enrolled in the study. This was a single-blinded crossover study which examined plaque removal efficiency of a CB compared to a manual toothbrush (MB) following a consecutive use. After professional prophylaxis had been given, participants refrained from brushing and chewing for 48 h. Supragingival plaque was examined using the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein Index (TQHI) and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). For statistical comparison, the difference (prebrushing minus postbrushing) in average scores was calculated. Data were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U-test, with a P 0.05). Within the limits of this study, the experimental chewable brush was found to be as effective as a manual brush in removing plaque. The chewable brush may be an appropriate oral hygiene adjunct for school children, including children with disabilities.