Evaluation of the effect of tooth brushing with parental supervision on dental plaque removal in children with mixed dentition

Objective: In our study, it is aimed to evaluate the effect of tooth brushing with parent support on plaque removal efficiency in children in mixed dentition period. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 175 children aged 6-12 years who met the inclusion criteria. After the children's baseline plaque levels were assessed with the G&V OHI-S index, both mother and child were given oral hygiene training. For four weeks, children were randomised to brush their teeth with or without maternal support. At each visit, G&V OHI-S plaque index was measured with plaque staining agent and recorded. The data obtained were evaluated according to demographic factors, presence of support for tooth brushing, localisation and maternal factors. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26 (IBM SPSS®, Chicago, U.S.A) software was used for statistical analyses. Results: When the plaque removal efficiency of independent toothbrushing and toothbrushing with maternal support was compared, it was found that toothbrushing with maternal support removed significantly more plaque (p<0.001).When the plaque removal efficiency of genders was evaluated among themselves, it was seen that toothbrushing with maternal support removed plaque better than independent brushing in girls (p<0.001). When age groups were evaluated among themselves in terms of brushing support, it was found that brushing with mother's support in children aged 6, 7, 8 and 9 years and independent brushing in children aged 12 years removed more plaque statistically significantly (p<0.05). Conclusion: In our study, it was found that more plaque was removed when teeth were brushed with parental support. Our study has shown that especially children in the mixed dentition period and school-age children aged 10 years and younger, who are thought by their parents to be able to brush their teeth adequately on their own, should be supported by their parents while brushing their teeth. It is important to increase trainings on tooth brushing for parents and children, to make parents role models for sustainable tooth brushing habits, and to evaluate and support each child in accordance with his/her own manual skills. Keywords: Parental supervision, independent tooth brushing, child, microbial dental plaque, mixed dentition