Improving Tooth Brushing Skills in Schoolchildren
Author Information
Author(s): Livny Alon, Vered Yuval, Slouk Liat, Sgan-Cohen Harold D
Primary Institution: Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine
Hypothesis
Can a pragmatic educational program effectively improve tooth brushing skills among young schoolchildren?
Conclusion
The educational program significantly improved the tooth brushing skills of young schoolchildren.
Supporting Evidence
- Before the program, only 32% of children brushed occlusal surfaces, which increased to 87% after the program.
- The average number of dental areas brushed increased from 2.8 to 5.7 after the program.
- Reported brushing frequency improved from 67.2% brushing once a day to 97.4% brushing twice a day.
Takeaway
This study showed that teaching kids how to brush their teeth better can help them do it more effectively.
Methodology
The study involved 196 first grade children who were evaluated on their brushing skills before and after a three-week educational program.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include the lack of randomization and the possibility of social desirability bias in self-reported brushing frequency.
Limitations
The study was not a randomized controlled trial and did not include a control group, which may affect the validity of the results.
Participant Demographics
The participants were first grade children from medium-low socio-economic levels in Jerusalem.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 2.59 – 3.20
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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