Dental Plaque Disclosing as an Auxiliary Method for Professional Dental Prophylaxis in Early Childhood

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to clarify whether dental plaque disclosing before professional prophylaxis would improve the visualization of dental plaque, therefore optimizing the procedure. Materials and methods: The sample comprised both the smooth and occlusal surfaces of the teeth of 25 children from 18 to 36 months. A randomized crossover clinical trial was conducted with two groups: GI—with disclosing and GII—without disclosing (washout/1 month). The teeth were stained with 1% malachite green solution to assess the amount of dental plaque on smooth and occlusal surfaces. Results: Dental plaque removal was more effective and statistically faster (391.27 seconds ±142.2) in GI. The plaque index and the prophylaxis duration were inversely related in GI. The child’s behavior did not affect the plaque removal effectiveness, regardless of plaque disclosure (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Dental plaque disclosing in young children is an effective and less time-consuming method that improves the quality of the professional dental prophylaxis. Clinical significance: Biofilm control is important for the success of programs for prevention of early childhood caries (ECC) and considering the particularities inherent to the dental care of infants, it is necessary that periodic professional prophylaxis is effective in eliminating the oral biofilm, ideally reducing chair time. Although dental plaque disclosing has been traditionally performed on educational basis during oral hygiene instruction, this resource can be safely employed to help professional prophylaxis in infants.