Contingency Management of Toothbrushing Behavior in a Summer Camp for Children¹

The control of toothbrushing behavior by contingency management was studied with eight, 10 to 12-yr-old boys at a summer camp for children. This behavior occurred infrequently during baseline conditions with and without verbal instructions to the subjects to brush their teeth. Toothbrushing behavior was maintained at a high level when the behavior was required as a prerequisite for the opportunity to swim (contingency management). When, after 22 days, the contingency arrangement between toothbrushing and swimming was terminated, toothbrushing behavior returned to a low level.