Validation Of Indigenously Developed Video For Teaching Toothbrushing To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Aim: Validation of indigenously developed video for teaching toothbrushing to children with autism spectrum disorder. Methodology: This prospective pilot study was carried out in 10 participants of age 5-12 years. The developed video was taught to incorporate in the routine and transferred in parents smartphones after assessing their baseline descriptives, plaque index , toothbrushing efficiency and time required for perform the activity. The intention was to assess the improvement in toothbrushing technique and the ability of the child to comprehend and follow the instruction as shown in the video. Results: In first visit, most of the children with ASD were incapable of grasping the toothbrush properly and had irregular toothbrushing practices. The mean plaque score (Loe and Silness) has improved from 2.04 ± 0.65 to 2.03 ± 0.12 (p>0.05) in the second visit and significantly improved from the baseline to third visit (p <0.05) . Parental perception also highlighted improved compliance towards toothbrushing than before. The children showed less reluctance for toothbrushing which was a common concern for all the 10 set of parents. Conclusion: Videos provides more comprehensible and structured way to deliver information and teach the desired action for the audience. Various task can be taught to children with ASD which may help children to cope better in dental environments during treatment.