Objectives: Oral hygiene plays an important role in eliminating biofilms and
preventing dental caries. However, the implementation of oral health knowledge
that children learn from their parents and through school dental health programmes
remains poorly studied. This study aimed to investigate oral hygiene knowledge and
its practical utilization in children and young adolescents (CYAs) aged 2–15 years.
Material and methods: This was a questionnaire‐based, interview‐style community
survey and on‐site practical assessment of CYAs' toothbrushing skills conducted during
two 1‐day public science‐promoting events held at a major German university hospital
in consecutive years. CYAs first answered questions on toothbrushing frequency, dental
aids used, and dental care. They subsequently underwent diagnostic staining and
demonstrated their brushing technique and method. CYAs' responses (percentages) to
questionnaire items addressing oral hygiene knowledge and practice, and on‐site
assessment of toothbrushing skills served as the main outcome measures.
Results: Of 244 participating CYAs, 178 (73%) CYAs had no caries experience, the
percentage increasing with age from 5% in 2–5‐year‐olds to 40% in those aged > 10
years. Of 117/244 (48%) indicating that teeth should be brushed three times daily, 80/
117 (68%) self‐reported twice‐daily brushing, 32/117 (27%) reported brushing three
times, and 4/117 (3%) stated doing so only once. Although 131/244 (54%) considered
that teeth should be brushed for 3 min, 77/131 (59%) self‐reported actually doing so
and 41/131 (31%) reported brushing for 2min. Seventeen of 42 (40%) participants
aged > 10 years showed no systematic brushing method, with 21/42 (50%) failing to
clean their teeth completely. Participants aged 6–10 years exhibited the highest
proportion (97/134, 72%) of complete cleaning. One hundred and forty‐six of 244
(60%) of CYAs knew about floss; 63/134 (43%) reported using it. Good adherence to
oral health recommendations (i.e., brushing ≥ 2/day for ≥2min) was observed in 212/
244 (87%) CYAs, the remaining 32/244 (13%) exhibiting poor adherence.
Conclusion: CYAs knew about the importance of oral hygiene and cleaned their
teeth frequently. However, translation of their knowledge into practice showed
deficiencies. Repeated encouragement to put oral health knowledge into practice is
important