Observational studyBMC oral health2021
Tooth brushing performance in adolescents as compared to the best-practice demonstrated in group prophylaxis programs: an observational study.
Observational study in BMC oral health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Manual toothbrushing techniques for plaque removal and the prevention of gingivitis-A systematic review with network meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- It is the habit not the handle that affects tooth brushing - a randomised counterbalanced cross over study with young and healthy adults.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- "You should brush your teeth better": a randomized controlled trial comparing best-possible versus as-usual toothbrushing.BMC oral health · 2023Trial
- Perception of oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment: an eye-tracking and cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Predicting plaque-gingivitis risk in schoolchildren using an interpretable machine learning model: a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Reproducible 3D bioprinting ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Changes in Toothbrushing Behaviors Following a Child Dental Care Reform in Israel.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Making plaque assessment easier - a validation study of simplified versions of the Marginal Plaque Index.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Article
- Effect of different brushing parameters on erosive tooth wear in primary bovine enamel and dentin.PloS one · 2024Article
- Toothbrushing behavior over time: A correlational analysis of repeatedly assessed brushing performance.PloS one · 2024Article
- Adolescent Toothbrushing and Its Association with Sociodemographic Factors-Time Trends from 1994 to 2018 in Twenty Countries.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- In vitro study on the preventive effect of children's toothpastes on erosive tooth wear of primary bovine enamel and dentin.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Patients' awareness regarding the quality of their oral hygiene: development and validation of a new measurement instrument.BMC oral health · 2022Article
- Evaluation of Oral Hygiene-Related Mobile Apps for Children in Sub-Saharan Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- The Effect of Changing the Toothbrush on the Marginal Gingiva Microcirculation in the Adolescent Population-A Laser Doppler Flowmetry Assessment.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Oral-Hygiene-Related Mobile Apps in the French App Stores: Assessment of Functionality and Quality.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Supportive Home Remedies for Orofacial Pain during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Their Value and Limitations.International journal of dentistry · 2022Review
- Good role models? Tooth brushing capabilities of parents: a video observation study.BMC oral health · 2021Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundResearch indicates that adolescents may have difficulties to adopt the tooth brushing recommendations delivered in prophylaxis programs. However, it is not clear whether these difficulties are seen amongst the entire age range of adolescence (10-19 years) or only occur at certain developmental stages of the adolescence. The present study analyzes the tooth brushing performance of adolescents and compares it to the best-practice of tooth brushing demonstrated during prophylaxis programs.
methodsA random sample of N = 66 adolescents, comprising 10-year-olds (n = 42) and 15-year-olds (n = 24), were asked to perform oral hygiene to the best of their abilities in front of a tablet camera. Videos were analyzed for tooth brushing duration, location, and brushing movements, and the difference between the actual and expected behaviour was tested for consistency using repeated measures ANOVAs and Student's t-tests. For the direct comparison across different age groups, already available data from 12- and 18-year-olds were reanalysed.
resultsThe average brushing time (mean ± SD) of the 10-year-olds and 15-year-olds was 195.8 s (74.6 s) and 196.1 s (75.8 s), respectively. Regardless of age, the adolescents distributed their brushing time unevenly across the inner, outer and occlusal surfaces. The inner surfaces in particular were neglected to a considerable extent, as no age group spent more than 15.8% of the total brushing time on them. Furthermore, all age groups showed a high proportion of horizontal movements on the inner and outer surfaces, regardless of the movements instructed for the respective surfaces.
conclusionEven if adolescents brush to the best of their abilities, they neglect or skip one or many of the tooth surfaces. The reasons for the lack of compliance to tooth brushing instructions are discussed in light of the methods used in prophylaxis programs and the influence of parents.
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