329 - Appropriate Age for Effective Independent Toothbrushing in Children

Appropriate Age for Effective Independent Toothbrushing in Children

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the toothbrushing capabilities of children ages 6-12 years old to determine at which age children can effectively remove plaque from their own teeth.

Methods: At their regular 6-month checkup/cleaning visits, 39 healthy, neurotypical, 6-12 year old patients of SLU Pediatric Dental Clinic were recruited. Parent consent and patient assent forms were completed. Participants were asked to chew a plaque disclosing tablet, allowing for a baseline plaque index score to be recorded, before brushing their own teeth for two minutes with a manual toothbrush. After brushing, participants chewed a second plaque disclosing tablet and a final plaque index score was recorded. The difference in baseline and final plaque index scores were analyzed for any significant trends in plaque reduction related to patient demographics of age and gender.

Results: Multiple linear regression was used to test if age, gender, and their interaction were significantly associated with the reduction in plaque. The overall regression was not statistically significant R2 = .133, F(3, 35) = 1.79, p = .1671. Simple linear regression was used to test if age is significantly associated with the reduction in plaque. The regression was not statistically significant R2 = .003, F(1, 37) = 0.113, and p = .7386. Additionally, multiple linear regression was used to test if age, gender, and their interaction were significantly associated with the percent reduction in plaque. The overall regression was not statistically significant R2 = .08475, F(3, 35) = 1.08, p = .3701.

Conclusions: Many factors contribute to a child’s ability to manually remove plaque from their teeth; however, this study found no significant trends between age or gender and the reduction in plaque or percent reduction in plaque. Further studies should be conducted with larger sample size and a focus on further eliminating extraneous variables to determine appropriate age for effective independent toothbrushing.