A comparison of the efficacy of powered and manual toothbrushes in controlling plaque and gingivitis: a clinical study

Abstract

BackgroundPlaque is intimately related to the production and progress of dental caries and inflammatory gingival and periodontal diseases. Good plaque control facilitates the return to health for patients with gingival and periodontal diseases. Daily use of a toothbrush and other oral hygiene aids is the most dependable way to achieve oral health benefits for all patients.MethodsA randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of a powered toothbrush with a manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingivitis over a 6-week period. The sample consisted of 60 dental students of both sexes, with ages ranging from 18 to 28 years. The samples were stratified and randomly divided into two groups of 30 by a second examiner using the coin toss method; one group used a manual toothbrush and the other group used a powered toothbrush. Each participant’s gingival index, plaque index and oral hygiene index were assessed on the seventh, 14th, and 45th days on the basis of the assigned toothbrush. Collected data were analyzed and different subgroups were compared using Student’s t-test.ResultsA paired t-test revealed a highly significant reduction in the gingival, plaque, and oral hygiene index scores of the manual and powered groups at the first, second, and sixth weeks (P-value < 0.0001). An unpaired t-test revealed a significant reduction between the plaque index scores of the manual and powered groups at the second week (P-value < 0.05). Another unpaired t-test revealed a highly significant reduction between the plaque index scores of the manual and powered groups at the sixth week (P-value < 0.0001).ConclusionThe subject group using the powered toothbrush demonstrated clinical and statistical improvement in overall plaque scores. Powered toothbrushes offer an individual the ability to brush the teeth in a way that is optimal in terms of removing plaque and improving gingival health, conferring good brushing technique on all who use them, irrespective of manual dexterity or training.

Manual versus sonic powered toothbrushing in patients with intellectual disability: a cluster‐randomized clinical trial

“…). Mechanical methods for plaque control are still the most widely used and accepted, although there is a large heterogeneity in their efficacy as evidenced by the published literature, which may depend on utilizing different devices or using them with different instructions and techniques, since effective mechanical methods for plaque control are relatively tedious, and for many individuals difficult to master (Jain ).…”

Comparación de diferentes técnicas de cepillado para la higiene bucal

“…Con el advenimiento de nuevas tecnologías llegaron al mercado cepillos dentales eléc-tricos los cuales han demostrado tener una alta energía y fuerzas de cizallamiento suficientes capaces de remover una significante cantidad de bacterias en la cavidad oral (42), como también han demostrado ser más eficientes que la técnica de Bass en cuanto a la remoción de placa, demostrando una mejoría en las técnicas utilizadas, pues para las personas que no presentan la capacidad ni la habilidad motora de realizar correctamente la técnica de cepillado, esto puede ser de gran utilidad (43). Además, el estudio de Grazyna Smiech y Joanna Jabloska (2007) demostró que estos cepillos eléctricos ofrecen tan buenos resultados como cuando se usa un cepillo tradicional junto con la seda dental (44).…”

“…Además, el estudio de Grazyna Smiech y Joanna Jabloska (2007) demostró que estos cepillos eléctricos ofrecen tan buenos resultados como cuando se usa un cepillo tradicional junto con la seda dental (44). ODONTOLOGÍA Con respecto a la periodicidad del cepillado dental, se recomienda al menos dos veces al día para lograr un control de placa de manera aceptable (43,45) cuando el cepillado es excesivo y además se agrega a esto que el cepillo tenga cerdas duras, que la técnica de cepillado sea horizontal y la pasta dentrífica abrasiva , se puede presentar abrasión del tejido dental, recesión gingival y aumento de la sensibilidad (46). La exposición de la dentina en la zona cervical por medio del cepillado, hace más vulnerable el tejido dental frente a la pasta dentífrica y al pH ácido de los alimentos, debilitándolo y haciéndolo más susceptible a otras lesiones como la abfracción y la hipersensibilidad dentinal, que aunque su origen no esté relacionado directamente con el trauma causado por el cepillado, es un factor importante en la progresión de ellas (47).…”

Comparison of the preventive effects of slightly acidic HOCl mouthwash and CHX mouthwash for oral diseases

“…To remove bacteria, mechanical tooth brushing, interdental tooth brushing, and mouth washing are used as mechanical plaque control methods, but if they are wrongly used, irreversible damage to the oral tissue may occur. Moreover, as it is difficult for common people to effectively use these methods for removing bacteria from the hard-to-reach areas, the chemical plaque control method may instead be used [4]. Among the existing chemical plaque control methods, mouth washing is currently mainly used, and its use tends to increase because it is easy to use and because it is easy to carry a mouthwash bottle [5].…”