Effect of Proper Tooth Brushing Technique on Dental Plaque Among School Going Children

Background: Health education is crucial for fostering good oral health and using dental care to build cleaning habits is the most effective way to achieve good oral health. This study aimed to compare the reduction in dental plaque score among lecture and pamphlet groups via bass tooth brushing demonstration among school-going children of Karachi. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with sixth-grade students aged 11 to 13 from three government schools, selected through convenience sampling, and students were randomly assigned to three groups: Group A (Lecture), Group B (Pamphlet), and Group C (Control). The sample size was 168 (56 per group). Data collection involved structured proformas and oral health examinations. Groups A and B learned the Bass brushing method based upon criteria of the American Dental Association, while Group C maintained routine practices. Plaque scores were assessed at baseline, one month, and three months, with analysis using SPSS and Chi-square tests for significance. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean age of participants was 12.161±0.493 years. Group A and B had good plaque scores (0.1-0.9mm) at T0, T1 and T2 among 51.8%, 85.7% and 69.6% of the students respectively for group A, while 73.2%, 82.1% and 69.6% of the students respectively for group B. A significant difference found for plaque score between the control and intervention groups (p<0.001 each). Conclusion: Proper brushing technique resulted in the reduction of plaque score among the lecture group followed by the Pamphlet group, but no reduction was reported for control group.