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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Impact of Common Fruit Juices and Toothbrushing on the Discoloration of Primary Teeth
Published on: March 27, 2026
[Clinical relevance of tooth brushing in relation to dental caries]
Salvador Pita-Fernández1, Antonio Pombo-Sánchez, Juan Suárez-Quintanilla
1Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, España. salvador.pita.fernandez@sergas.es
Aim:
To determine the impact and clinical relevance of tooth brushing on oral health.
Design:
Prevalence study.
Location:
Fontiñas Health Centre. (Santiago de Compostela, Spain). Prevalence study (n=281 children aged 5-14 years. Odontological examination according to WHO methodology, to determine the frequency of tooth brushing, frequency of sweet consumption and their impact on the prevalence of caries.
Statistical Analysis:
Logistic regression and estimation of the relative prevalence difference (RPD) and the Number Needed to Treat in order to prevent one additional bad outcome (NNT).
Results:
The children who never brush their teeth have a 40% (95% CI: 24.3%-57.8%) of early caries, while those who brush their teeth several times a day have 15.3% (95% CI: 9.4%-23.7%). An association between not brushing the teeth and caries in primary teeth (OR=2.3; 95% CI:1.05-5.3) was observed after adjusting for age, sweet consumption and visits to the dentist. The same occurred with final teeth (OR=3.9; 95% CI:1.4-10.3). The RPD was 62%(95% CI: 30%-79%), meaning that prevalence of caries is 62% lower in children who brush their teeth several times a day as compared to those who never brush their teeth. The NNT is 4 (95% CI: 2.4-14), so for every 4 children who brush their teeth several times a day, there is one less case of caries, compared to those who never brush their teeth. There is a dose-response relationship between prevalence of caries and brushing frequency. The same effect was observed with definitive caries: RPD=55% (95% CI:16%-76%), NNT=5 (95% CI:2.8-53.3).
Conclusions:
Tooth brushing is related to oral health, with a major clinical impact. The positive effect of tooth brushing was superior to that of a correct diet.
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