Dental plaque can lead to oral health problems and develop into
periodontal disease if not properly cleaned. Self-cleansing by chewing Manalagi
apples (Malus sylvestris Mill) helps reduce plaque due to their high fiber content,
which can clean teeth, stimulate saliva production, and inhibit plaque-causing
bacteria. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of chewing Manalagi apples
(Malus sylvestris Mill) in reducing the plaque index among students of the
Puskesad Dental Health Academy. Research Method: This study is a quantitative
quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design. The sample consisted
of 63 randomly selected students from the Puskesad Dental Health Academy. Data
analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test and the
Wilcoxon test. Results: Before chewing Manalagi apples (Malus sylvestris Mill),
the majority of respondents had moderate dental hygiene (66.7%), then after
chewing Manalagi apples (Malus sylvestris Mill), there was a significant increase
in plaque index scores as much as the good category (95.2%). Based on the
Wilcoxon test, it was found that p-value = 0.000 < 0.05, it can be said that chewing
Manalagi apples (Malus sylvestris Mill) is effective as self-cleansing to reduce
plaque index. Conclusion: Chewing Manalagi apples (Malus sylvestris Mill) is
effective as a self-cleansing method for reducing the plaque index