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Safety and Efficacy of Plaque Removal Using Manual and Powered Toothbrush in Cerebral Palsy Children by
Anshula N Deshpande1, Kishan Naik1, Neeraj Deshpande2
1Department of Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry, K.M. Shah Dental College and Hospital, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Insights
Powered toothbrushes are as effective as manual toothbrushes for plaque removal in children with cerebral palsy. Parents and caregivers prefer powered toothbrushes due to ease of use, improving oral hygiene for children with motor challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) often leads to poor oral hygiene in children due to impaired motor skills.
- Effective plaque removal is crucial for preventing dental issues in children with CP.
- Assessing toothbrush efficacy in this population is vital for improving oral health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of manual versus powered toothbrushes for plaque removal in children with cerebral palsy.
- To assess parental/caregiver perceptions and attitudes towards using manual and powered toothbrushes in children with CP.
- To determine the impact of toothbrush type on gingival health and abrasion.
Main Methods:
- A single-blinded, crossover randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 children with cerebral palsy (ages 6-14).
- Participants were randomized into two groups, using either a manual or powered toothbrush, with a crossover and a 1-week washout period.
- Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), and Gingival Abrasion (GA) scores were measured at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks.
Main Results:
- Both manual and powered toothbrushes significantly reduced plaque and gingival scores compared to baseline (p < 0.05).
- Gingival abrasion scores decreased by 100% in both groups, with no statistically significant difference between toothbrush types.
- A high percentage of children (86.6%) and parents (70%) reported positive feedback towards powered toothbrushes.
Conclusions:
- Powered toothbrushes demonstrate comparable efficacy to manual toothbrushes in plaque and gingival reduction for children with cerebral palsy.
- Powered toothbrushes are favored by parents and caregivers for their ease of use, potentially enhancing compliance and oral hygiene.
- The findings support the use of powered toothbrushes as a beneficial tool for managing oral hygiene in children with neuromotor impairments.
Aim:
The aim of our study was to check the safety and efficacy of plaque removal using manual and powered toothbrush in cerebral palsy children by parents/caregivers.
Materials And Methods:
This was a single blinded, crossover randomized control trial conducted on 60 cerebral palsy children between the age of 6 to 14 years. They were randomly divided using a flip coin method into two groups: group A-manual toothbrush and group B-powered toothbrush. The plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and gingival abrasion (GA) score were measured at baseline, then at an interval of 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. This was followed by a crossover between two groups with a washout period of 1 week.
Results:
Both manual and powered toothbrush showed a significant reduction in plaque and gingival score before and after crossover when compared to baseline (p < 0.05). The GA score was reduced to 100% in both groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference between both the groups before and after the crossover. Also, through the questionnaire it was observed that both child (86.6%) and parent (70%) showed positive feedback towards powered toothbrush.
Conclusion:
It can be concluded from the present study that the efficacy of a powered toothbrush is comparable to that of a manual toothbrush. Parents and caregivers, on the contrary, displayed a favorable attitude towards the use of powered toothbrushes due to their ease of use.
Clinical Relevance:
Cerebral palsy is one of the most common neurological disorders among children. It is associated with poor motor skills and manual dexterity that hampers their ability to brush and thus leads to poor oral hygiene. A powered toothbrush seems more appealing and is specially designed for patients with poor neuromotor coordination.
How To Cite This Article:
Deshpande AN, Naik K, Deshpande N, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Plaque Removal using Manual and Powered Toothbrush in Cerebral Palsy Children by Parents/Caregivers: A Randomized Control Crossover Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(2):344-349.
