Abstract
In this study, the effectiveness of an interdental brush-size checker in promoting the appropriate adoption and sustained use of interdental cleaning tools (ICT) among dental hygiene students was evaluated using a questionnaire survey conducted before and after oral hygiene instruction.
Participants were female dental hygiene students undergoing clinical training. During the training period, their periodontal tissue condition, oral hygiene habits, and interdental cleaning techniques were assessed, and oral hygiene instruction incorporating interdental brushes was provided. The students were divided into two groups: a control group that received standard oral hygiene instruction without an interdental brush-size checker, and an intervention group that received instruction combined with brush-size measurement using the checker.
In both groups, self-awareness of periodontal disease, oral hygiene habits and attitudes, frequency of ICT use, and perceived importance of and confidence in the use of ICT were evaluated. Data analysis involved within-group comparisons of the perceived importance of and confidence in the use of ICT before and after training, and between group comparisons of self-awareness of periodontal disease and oral hygiene attitudes.
Following clinical training, the perceived importance of and confidence in ICT use increased significantly in both groups. Furthermore, the frequency of ICT use was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. These findings suggest that clinical training improves awareness of the importance of ICT use and that incorporating an interdental brush-size checker further enhances self-assessment of the periodontal condition and promotes behavioral change towards ICT adoption.
