Efficacy of the lift-the-lip technique for dental plaque removal in preschool children

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of two dental brushing techniques in relation to the lift lip method to control oral hygiene. Methodology: This controlled and randomized field trial included 40 preschool children aged 24-59 months, divided into four groups: Group A (modified bass without lift the lip), Group B (modified bass with lift the lip), Group C (horizontal technique with lift the lip), and Group D (horizontal technique without lift the lip). The dental plaque accumulation was recorded through the O'Leary index. In addition, to perform hygiene control, the plaque index was performed in the initial evaluation at 7 and 14 days. Results: ANOVA and Friedman test were applied to compare oral hygiene in each group. Finally, Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare groups at 7 and 14 days. The children with the modified Bass associated to the lift the lip had significantly more plaque removed at 7 (P = 0.041) and 14 days (P = 0.027) than other techniques. Conclusions: The modified Bass related to the lift-the-lip technique was the most effective for plaque removal in preschool children at 7 and 14 days.