Improving Oral Hygiene with Videotape Modeling

Two experiments designed to evaluate a videotape modeling procedure for improving toothbrushing performance in Head Start youngsters are presented. The effects of toothbrushing were measured by the PHP (Personal Hygiene Performance) technique in each study. The PHP is an observational procedure for rating tooth plaque after use of a disclosing solution. In Experiment I, oral hygiene performance was improved for subjects provided videotape modeling as compared to the performance of subjects in a no-treatment control group. In Experiment II, the videotape treatment was compared to a feedback-reinforcement technique and a no-treatment control group over a one-week baseline, one-week treatment, and six-week follow-up. Results suggested that both experimental treatments were superior to the no-treatment control during treatment; the effects of the videotape procedure were more durable than feedback. However, performance of subjects in the videotape group did decrease by the sixth week of follow-up.