ABSTRACT Aim and Background Addressing oral hygiene in children with autism remains a critical concern for dental professionals and caregivers. These challenges make routine toothbrushing difficult and increase the risk of oral health problems. Recognizing the urgent need for practical solutions, this investigation was undertaken to evaluate three structured toothbrushing teaching interventions and their effectiveness among autistic children. Materials and Methods This study evaluated the effectiveness of three instructional methods—visual posters, video demonstrations, and caregiver modeling to improve oral hygiene in autistic children aged 7–15 years. Sixty participants were randomly divided into three groups. Toothbrushing skills, cooperation (Frankl Scale), and oral hygiene (OHI‐S) were assessed over 3 months. Results All groups showed significant improvement. Parent Modeling (15.55 ± 1.23) was highly superior to both Video and Poster groups ( p < 0.001 ). A statistically significant difference ( p = 0.024 ) was also found favoring the Video (12.80 ± 1.20) over the Poster (10.75 ± 2.49) group. Conclusion Caregiver modeling was the most effective method for teaching toothbrushing to children with ASD, promoting better outcomes in both oral hygiene and behavioural cooperation. Trial Registration CTRI/2025/03/083547
Vimalchand et al. (2026) studied this question.