Tooth Brushing Skills and Personal Hygiene Performance Modified (PHP-M) Index in preschool children

Background: The prevalence of caries in children aged 5-6 years is 92.6% with a def-t index of 8.43, meaning that young children in Indonesia have experienced 8-9 cavities per child. The high number of dental and oral diseases currently is greatly influenced by several factors, one of which is the behavior of people who do not realize the importance of maintaining dental and oral health. Brushing teeth is a simple act of removing plaque and food residue with a brush and toothpaste, because plaque and food residue are the main causes of dental caries. The Personal Hygiene Performance Modified (PHP-M) Index is an indicator for measuring dental hygiene status in mixed dentition. Objective: The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between tooth brushing skills and the Personal Hygiene Performance Modified Index in preschool children in Pondok Labu Village, Cilandak District, South Jakarta in 2023. Method: This research uses observational analytical methods with a cross-sectional design. The sampling technique for this research used a purposive sampling technique of 66 respondents. The data collection instrument uses a tooth brushing observation sheet to measure teeth brushing skills and the Personal Hygiene Performance Modified Index. Data analysis used the chi-square test with the SPSS application. Results: Chi-square test results show that tooth brushing skills influence the Personal Hygiene Performance Modified Index in Preschool children (p=0.022). Conclusion: there is a relationship between tooth brushing skills and the Personal Hygiene Performance Modified Index in preschool children Keywords: Tooth brushing skills, PHP-M Index, Preschool Children