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Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of the GumChucks Flossing System and String Floss for Plaque Removal in
Trupti V Takle1, Prashanth Yachrappa Vishwakarma1, Arun S Dodamani1
1Department of Public Health Dentistry, ACPM Dental College, Dhule, Maharashtra, India.
Background:
Mentally disabled children have been found to have poor oral hygiene, a greater prevalence of periodontal disease, and higher caries prevalence. Flossing is an important oral hygiene skill adjacent to toothbrushing in plaque removal than brushing alone in children. GumChucks is a novel flossing device designed to assist children with easy and proper flossing techniques. To compare the efficacy of the GumChucks flossing system and string floss (SF) for plaque removal in mentally disabled children.
Materials And Methods:
Participants were randomly assigned to either GumChucks or SF. At baseline, a toothbrushing and flossing demonstration was given to all the participants. Gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) were recorded at baseline, 1 week, and 4 weeks postusage.
Results:
Overall, there was a significant reduction in GI and PI after first use with children using GumChucks compared to SF floss. After 1 week and 4 weeks of postusage, children in the GumChucks group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in GI (1.03 ± 0.60), (1.12 ± 0.66), and PI (0.97 ± 0.53), (1.10 ± 0.54) from baseline p ≤ 0.05.
Conclusion:
GumChucks was an effective alternative plaque removal, with recommended caretakers' supervision for mentally disabled children.
How To Cite This Article:
Takle TV, Vishwakarma PY, Dodamani AS, et al. Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of the GumChucks Flossing System and String Floss for Plaque Removal in Mentally Disabled Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):255-259.
