Impact of Verbal and Visual Training on Amount of Toothpaste Dispensed by Parents and Children: A Quasi Experimental Study

Introduction: Fluoride prevents dental caries however excessive utilisation of fluoridated toothpastes can lead to dental fluorosis. Hence, parents and children should be instructed regarding toothpaste dispensing quantities. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of visual and verbal aids in instructing parent-child dyad regarding toothpaste dispensing patterns. Materials and Methods: A pretest-post-test quasi experimental study was conducted comprising of 70 parents and children aged 3-6 years in the department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, DY Patil University of Dentistry, Navi Mumbai, India from September to December 2023. Data on toothpaste and toothbrush type were collected. Toothpaste dispensing was assessed at baseline, after parental counselling with visual and verbal aids (T0) and after atleast three months (T1). One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post-hoc test was used to compare difference in weight of toothpaste dispensed at all time intervals. Unpaired t-test was used to compare amount of toothpaste dispensed by parent and child at all time intervals. Results: A total of 44 (62.9%) of parents utilised adult toothpaste and 7 (10%) used adult toothbrushes while brushing their child’s teeth. Parents and children dispensed an average 0.62±0.29 mg and 0.74±0.34 mg, respectively. However, a noticeable reduction in usage from baseline to T0 and T1 was observed in both parent and child groups (p<0.001*). Conclusion: Parents and children dispensed beyond recommended amount. Children, dispensed more toothpaste than their parents at baseline, immediately after counselling and after three months, emphasising need to monitor toothpaste use in preschoolers to avert dental caries and fluorosis. The noticeable reduction in parental usage shows positive impact of visual and verbal guidance in their dispensing habits.