Evaluation of Oral Hygiene in Children with Down Syndrome Using the Busy Book Ayo Sikat Gigi as an Educational Toy

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the oral hygiene status of children with Down syndrome using the busy book Ayo Sikat Gigi as an educational toy. Material and Methods: We ran an experimental study involving 25 educable and trainable children with Down syndrome, comprising 17 males and 8 females aged 7-12 years, who were free from other disabilities and did not use orthodontic or prosthodontic appliances. Parents were instructed to educate their children using the busy book Ayo Sikat Gigi and also to guide their children in brushing their teeth effectively at home. We evaluated the OHI-S score over two visits, one before and the other after education using the busy book Ayo Sikat Gigi over a 7 day period. The Wilcoxon test with the p-value set at 0.05 was used Results: It was noted a statistically significant decrease in the OHI-S scores of children with Down syndrome (p<0.05), reflecting an improvement in their dental health, after education using the busy book Ayo Sikat Gigi (median scores before and after education: 2.30 and 1.84, respectively) Conclusion: The busy book Ayo Sikat Gigi is a highly effective educational toy for children with Down syndrome, and in our study, it was demonstrated to decrease their OHI-S scores after education for 7 days.

Occurrence of Gingivitis and Oral Hygiene in Individuals with Down Syndrome

Abstract Objective: To determine the frequency distribution of gingivitis and oral hygiene in individuals with Down syndrome. Material and Methods: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive method and the subjects were 174 individuals with Down syndrome aged ≥14 years attending type C (intellectual disability) special needs schools in Jakarta. Gingivitis was measured using the gingival index, and oral hygiene was measured using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). The measurement of the two components of plaque and calculus was completed on six teeth on different surfaces, including the facial side of three maxillary teeth, the lingual side of the two posterior mandibular teeth, and the labial side of one anterior mandibular tooth. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies Results: 3.4% had no gingivitis, 47.2% had mild gingivitis, 40.8% had moderate gingivitis, and 8.6% had severe gingivitis. Regarding oral hygiene, 28.2% had good hygiene, 49.4% had fair, and 22.4% had poor hygiene Conclusion: Individuals with Down syndrome had a frequency distribution of gingivitis mainly in the mild and moderate categories, and a majority of subjects had fair OHI-S.