The development of a toothbrushing programme at a school for children with moderate and severe learning difficulties

A toothbrushing programme was established in a school for children aged 3 to 19 years with moderate and severe learning difficulties. Toothbrushes were provided and the importance of using the school staff to help and encourage the children to brush their teeth on a daily basis was emphasized. The early improvement in oral cleanliness was maintained after a period of fourteen months. Analysis of the data was undertaken using the unpaired t-test for mean debris scores. Significant differences compared with the baseline scores were recorded on three occasions. The programme is continuing.