The Effectiveness of Electric and Manual Toothbrush Use on the Loe and Silness Plaque Index Among Students with Intellectual Disabilities at SLBN Branjangan Jember, East Java, Indonesia

Background: Intellectual disability refers to a significantly below-average level of general intellectual functioning. These limitations prevent them from having the skills to maintain their oral hygiene independently. One method for maintaining oral hygiene is the use of manual and electric toothbrushes. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of manual and electric toothbrush use in reducing the Loe and Silness plaque index score in children with intellectual disabilities. Methods: This study was conducted among students with intellectual disabilities at SLBN Branjangan Jember. This research employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Results: The results showed that both manual and electric toothbrush use were effective in reducing plaque index scores, with p-values < 0.05. The use of a manual toothbrush reduced the plaque index score by 1.01 (48.09%). The use of an electric toothbrush reduced the plaque index score by 1.10 (48.45%). However, there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of manual and electric toothbrushes in reducing plaque index scores (p = 0.512). Conclusions: Based on this study, it can be concluded that both manual and electric toothbrushes are effective in reducing the Loe and Silness plaque index in school-age children with intellectual disabilities at SLBN Branjangan Jember. Statistically, there is no significant difference in effectiveness between a manual toothbrush and an electric toothbrush, but numerically, using an electric toothbrush is more effective.