The Effect of Toothbrushing Frequency on Oral Hygiene and Gingival Health in Schoolchildren

An epidemiological survey of brushing frequency, oral hygiene (OHI-S), and gingival condition (GI modified) was conducted on 290, 12- to 15-year-old schoolschildren. The purpose of the survey was to compare the clinical findings with the children's states frequency of toothbrushing. Since the same children had participated in a similar study approximately 2 1/2 years earlier, it was also of interest to determine what effect, if any, a change in reported brushing habits might exert over the oral status of the children. As in a previous study, the stated level of brushing activity was high. Approximately 46 percent of the children claimed to brush twice a day, and 40 percent once a day. The poorest oral hygiene and highest level of gingivitis were associated with the group of children that claimed to brush less than once a day. In general, the children that claimed to brush their teeth more frequently had lower mean OHI-S and GI scores indicating less oral debris and gingivitis. For males-females combined the optimal effect on oral hygiene and gingival condition, on a statistical basis, was detected at the level of twice-daily brushing. Increased brushing frequency beyond this level did not produce significant improvement in OHI-S or GI scores

Dental health · Family medicine · Library science · Oral health · Public health · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dentistry · Medicine · Nursing · Oral and Craniofacial Lesions · Oral microbiology and periodontitis research · Dental Hygiene · Gerontology

• The Relationship of Frequency of Toothbrushing, Oral Hygiene, Gingival Health, and Caries‐experience in School Children

  Open Access•James Berenie, Louis W Ripa et al.•Journal of Public Health Dentistry•1973

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