The effect of toothbrushing frequency on oral hygiene and gingival health in school children: reassessment after two and one-half years.

An epidemiological survey of brushing frequency, oral hygiene (OHI-S), and gingival condition (GI modified) was conducted on 290, 12- to 15-year-old schoolschildren. The purpose of the survey was to compare the clinical findings with the children's states frequency of toothbrushing. Since the same children had participated in a similar study approximately 2 1/2 years earlier, it was also of interest to determine what effect, if any, a change in reported brushing habits might exert over the oral status of the children. As in a previous study, the stated level of brushing activity was high. Approximately 46 percent of the children claimed to brush twice a day, and 40 percent once a day. The poorest oral hygiene and highest level of gingivitis were associated with the group of children that claimed to brush less than once a day. In general, the children that claimed to brush their teeth more frequently had lower mean OHI-S and GI scores indicating less oral debris and gingivitis. For males-females combined the optimal effect on oral hygiene and gingival condition, on a statistical basis, was detected at the level of twice-daily brushing. Increased brushing frequency beyond this level did not produce significant improvement in OHI-S or GI scores.