Comparative study of Miswak and Toothbrush user's oral hygiene status using Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) as clinical measuring tool

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate and compare status of Oral Hygiene maintenance of toothbrush and miswak users among teenage male madrassa students based on clinical indexes and questionnaires.

Methods:  There were 281 madrassa enrolled students examined and interviewed in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criterion already mentioned. Informed consent was taken. After having explained the questionnaire and clinical procedures, first a questionnaire (attached in annexure) was filled by the dentist based on answers provided by students. A trained dental hygienist performed clinical examination using mouth mirror, probe and WHO perio probe. Plaque and calculus score were recorded according to respective indexes.

Results: When miswak was used as cleaning tool, 41 (39.4%) fell in fair category of OHI –S, 35 (33.7%) fell in good category and 28 (26.9%) fell in excellent category of OHI –S with a significant (p-value<0.05). When tooth brush is used as cleaning tool, 23 (23.7%) were in fair category, 46 (47.4%) were in good and 28 (28.9%) were in excellent category of OHI –S. THE P value was again significant. When both miswak and brush are used, 8 (10%) were in fair, 32 (40%) were in good and 40 (50%) were in excellent category with p value being significant. 

Conclusion: The obtained data clearly reflects the effectiveness of miswak at par with toothbrush even when it was used without a dentifrice. This efficacy of miswak should be highlighted as an alternate of tooth paste and brush in LMICs like Pakistan. The results also show a better OHI–S when miswak and tooth brush were used in conjunction.