Effects of oral hygiene motivation strategies in paediatric patients with autism.

Abstract

Aim: This study assessed the effectiveness of technological aids (video modelling) versus verbal and demonstrative motivation for improving oral hygiene in paediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Materials: Consecutive patients with ASD were enrolled. Data on brushing frequency, snack intake frequency, plaque index, gum index, and Frankl scale were collected at baseline. After a tooth scaling session, patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group 1 (G1) received live brushing instructions, while Group 2 (G2) received an oral hygiene motivation video via email, created using the video modelling strategy. A follow-up evaluation was conducted after three months, with all parameters measured again for comparison.

Conclusion: Video modelling is an effective tool for motivating oral hygiene in patients with ASD, demonstrated by significant improvements in most measured parameters for the video modelling group.