Investigation of teeth brushing habits of knowledge, attitude and behavior using different motivation techniques in children aged 10-12

Dental caries and periodontal problems are reported to be among the most common chronic diseases affecting children. During childhood, the onset and progression of these conditions are driven by structural and behavioral factors. The behavioral factors are diet, self-care and use of dental care. Basically, to prevent these diseases and their sequale can be achieved by use of dental care including daily oral hygiene practices. Daily oral hygiene practices are stongly tied with the oral health behaviour in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different motivation methods on oral hygiene practices and oral health behaviour of children. 156 healthy children aged between 10-12 years of age are participated in the present study. The children are divided into 4 groups randomly. In the first group basic oral hygiene intsruction are given and the plaque index scores are collected. Toothbrushing is told on a plastic model and at the end of training appropriate toothbrushes, toothpastes and dental floss are given. In the second group, oral hygiene instructions are given before a prepared video is monitored on the computer screen. The video is monitored in an isolated room. Fields / subjects that are not understood or difficult to understand after the monitoring are evaluated and made sure that they are understood. In the third group, in addition to the oral hygiene instructions, the teeth of children are stained by a disclosing agent and photographed. Afterwards the children are asked to brush their teeth as taught and the teeth are photographed after the toothbrush in order to show the level of the plaque. The first photo and the last photo are compared and awareness is given about the role of toothbrushing in preventing plaque formation to the children. In the last group oral hygiene instructions are also given like in other groups. Then motivational interview is done first by evaluating the incorrect answers given in the data form. And then the child is asked to tell his/her dental habits with his/her own words. The contradiction between the ideal practice of toothbrushing and the child's real practices are discussed. Children are supported and the adequate brushing is explained to the children as the solution of this disagreement. Children are evaluated at week 2, month 1 and month 3 by looking at the plaque index scores in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used. When these four groups are evaluated, positive changes are observed in information, attitude, behavior and plaque indices in all groups. However the biggest change is found in the motivational interview group. It is concluded that motivational interviewing can be a useful tool for motivating children to gain oral hygiene habits. Key words: knowledge attitude behavior, different motivation techniques, toothbrushing habit