Improving oral hygiene skills among children undergoing treatment at the haemato-oncology department – an interventional programme

Abstract

The aim of this interventional programme was to educate children undergoing treatment at the haemato-oncology department in how to improve their oral hygiene skills. Children (and their parents) treated at the haemato-oncology department for haematological malignancies and disorders were educated and instructed in how to improve their dental oral hygiene skills. Instructions, demonstration and practice of toothbrushing techniques, as well as interproximal cleaning, were carried out in three separate sessions. In each session, toothbrushing skills were evaluated using the Ashkenazi index to assess improvement in oral hygiene skills over time. Four assessments were performed and recorded for each participant: before the initial explanation; immediately following the explanation; and 3 and 6 weeks following the first visit. Overall, 52 children were enrolled in the programme. The first toothbrushing performance skill evaluation revealed a low score of 10.44 out of a total of 40; this was significantly increased, following the instruction session, to 33.02 (P < 0.001). This improvement was maintained at the follow-up visits at 3 weeks (35.09 ± 6.3) and 6 weeks (36.34 ± 8.3). Following the instructions, a significant increase was accomplished in both 'reach' and 'stay' components of the score, to 18.44 out of 20 for 'reach' and 17.9 out of 20 for 'stay' at the last visit (P < 0.01). Individual supervised toothbrushing education, including a methodological toothbrushing technique, appears to be very effective. Educating medically compromised high-risk patients, such as hospitalised children, might be a good way to improve oral health and prevent future disease in this population.