Abstract

GINI MARTINEZ, Fiorella et al. Control of dental biofilm in children through a motivational strategy based on the home use of disclosing agents. Rev. cient. cienc. salud [online]. 2019, vol.1, n.1, pp.39-45. ISSN 2664-2891.  https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsalud/01.01.2019.39.

Daily tooth brushing is important, especially in children during the tooth replacement period. Because they are considered a group of risk of caries and gingivitis due to the difficulty of reproducing a brushing technique, the present investigation was developed with the aim of evaluating a motivational strategy for the control of the dental biofilm with the home use of disclosing agents. The experimental study included 30 schoolchildren from 6 to 7 years of age. An informative and instructive talk was given to the parents, explaining the purpose of the research and the mode of application of the disclosing agents in their homes. The salivary pH values of the O'Leary Index were recorded and the level of oral hygiene was determined before and after the intervention. The baseline results showed a poor level of oral hygiene in 53%, regular in 33% and good in 16% of the children evaluated. After the intervention, there was a decrease in the values of the O'Leary Index, modifying the level of oral hygiene in good in 43%, regular in 26% and bad in 30% of children, observing a difference statistically significant p = 0.006, applying the Wilcoxon test. It is concluded that the strategy of motivation for the control of the dental biofilm with the home use of disclosing agents can be implemented as a coadjuvant modifying positively the level of oral hygiene in children.

Keywords : dental plaque; motivation; dental plaque index; saliva.

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