The role of dental plaque disclosing agent in oral hygiene improvement among a group of institutionalized children

Abstract

Oral hygiene is precarious among institutionalized children, because free treatments are only available subject to certain conditions and because they cannot be supervised while they brush their teeth. Material and methods: the study includes 31 subjects who were clinically examined for the determination of the oral hygiene level, and who filled out a questionnaire regarding their attitude towards the disclosing agents. Results: The average value of the DIS index prior to the application of the disclosing agent was of 1.12, with a 1.34 mean value post-application (satisfactory hygiene). The hygiene level improved with the use of the correct technique and the disclosing agent, with values between 0.1-0.6 (good oral hygiene). Conclusion: There are clear results in terms of change in the children’s behaviour related to dental hygiene, supplemented by the improvement of the oral hygiene level following the removal of the bacterial plaque deposits revealed by the disclosing agents.