Brush Day & Night programme successfully improves oral hygiene in children: Study

Poor oral hygiene can have an adverse effect on the quality of life. School-based interventions can establish positive behaviours that reduce the likelihood of dental caries later in life. The Brush Day & Night programme aims to encourage good oral health behaviour and improve oral health and quality-of-life outcomes. In this article, we report the effect of the programme on well-being and oral hygiene measured by plaque levels at 3, 8, and 24 weeks and dental caries at 24 weeks after the programme start date.

This was a superiority cluster randomised trial of children 6-12 years of age from Indonesia (N = 2021) and Nigeria (N = 2104). All children were provided with toothpaste and a toothbrush. Children in the intervention group received the 21-day Brush Day & Night programme, whereas those in the control group did not. Children completed a questionnaire addressing the objectives at all time points. Their oral hygiene was assessed using the Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S). Additionally, at baseline and 24 weeks their caries status was recorded using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index.

The Results of the study are:

In Indonesia, after participation in the programme children demonstrated a 45% increased probability of no worsening in the occurrence of decayed, missing, or filled teeth. In Nigeria, children had a 71% higher probability of having confidence in their smile and the proportion of children with good oral hygiene doubled from 40% to 80% at 24 weeks.

Thus, the researchers concluded that the Brush Day & Night programme was successful in improving well-being and oral hygiene in children in Nigeria and reduced the likelihood of worsening in the occurrence of decayed, missing, or filled teeth in children in Indonesia.

Reference:

Impact of the Brush Day & Night Programme on Well-Being, Plaque, and Dental Caries in Children by Paulo Melo et al. published in the International Dental Journal.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.01.018