Anna Galganny Almeida D.D.S.
Accepted for Presentation at the AAPD Annual Session
May, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio
As pediatric dentists diagnose infants with Early Childhood Caries, each of us has the knowledge that if these children had visited our dental offices by age one, this detrimental disease could have been prevented or greatly minimized. The purpose of this study was to assess baby and parental satisfaction and plaque-removal efficacy of a novel infant tooth wipe (Spiffies Baby Tooth Wipes™) in high caries-risk babies 8 to 15 months of age.
Following institutional approval, thirty-five healthy and caries-free babies 8 to 15 months of age were selected for this randomized, crossover clinical study. All babies had never had their teeth cleaned and no primary molars were yet present. Moreover, all babies were identified with the potential risk factor of inappropriate feeding behaviors at bedtime.
Pre and post-cleansing oral hygiene was assessed using disclosed plaque indices and recorded with the use of digital photography. A manual toothbrush (Ultra Kids™) was used as a control cleansing method. Parents of babies used their randomly assigned cleansing method for a period of three minutes without instruction. Subjects returned to the clinic after a 48-72 hours washout period, and the clinical procedures were repeated using the alternate cleansing method.
All clinical plaque measurements were performed by one examiner who was blinded to treatment sequence. Parental satisfaction and the parent's perception of their baby's acceptance regarding the use of the cleansing method were evaluated by a questionnaire. These satisfaction parameters were recorded at the time of the clinic visit and also at the infant's bedtime. |
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Both the infant tooth wipe and conventional brushing were found to be safe and effective methods for significantly reducing plaque levels from anterior primary teeth (Matt-Whitney test P=.001). Parents were more satisfied with the infant tooth wipes when compared to conventional brushing, especially after night-feeding habits. This difference was statistically significant (Matt-Whitney test P=.001). Similarly, infant's acceptance was higher with the tooth wipes during daytime and significantly higher at night time (Matt-Whitney test P=.002).
The infant tooth wipe provides an effective method of plaque removal before the eruption of primary molars when tooth brushing is not feasible. The infant's sleep was not disrupted with the use of the tooth wipes. The wipes were highly accepted by the babies and the parents, especially after night-feeding practices. Based on these data, the recommendation to introduce infant tooth wipes into an effective daily oral hygiene routine for young children can be readily and easily integrated into the general practices of all children's health care providers. |
