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Arabian Journal of Pediatric Dentistry

Abstract

Background: Daily oral care is a great challenge for preschool children. Therefore, it is essential to study methods that facilitate oral care to establish early oral hygiene and improve oral health in these groups.

This study was designed evaluate the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar (ACV) 5% and mechanical plaque removal with a manual toothbrush without toothpaste or both ACV with mechanical removal, on dental plaque and gingivitis in preschool children.

Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 75 children aged 3-6 years, divided into three groups based on the applied method. The modified plaque index (TQHPI) and the modified gingival index (MGI) were used to assess the effectiveness of each studied method. Data were collected once before the intervention and then monthly for three months following the intervention.

Results: This study showed decreasing in (TQHP) in all groups as between T0 and T3. The greatest reduction in TQHP occurred in the mechanical brushing with ACV group, followed by the ACV group, with no statistically

significant differences(p>0.05), then the mechanical brushing group, which showed a statistically significant difference when compared to both ACV group and the mechanical brushing with ACV group individually. The greatest decreasing in (MGI) was found in ACVgroup and the mechanical brushing with ACV group, with no statistically significant differences at all times compared to the mechanical brushing group, where a statistically significant difference was found between the mechanical brushing group and ACV group after two months and three months.

Conclusions: Apple cider vinegar, whether alone or combined with manual brushing, showed a greater and faster effect on dental plaque and gingivitis compared to mechanical brushing without toothpaste.

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