Effectiveness of a powered toothbrush compared with a manual toothbrush for orthodontic patients with fixed appliances.

Orthodontic patients with fixed appliances have an increased risk for caries and gingivitis. Therefore, the use of special toothbrushes and additional cleaning tools is recommended. The aim of this longitudinal study was to compare the plaque removal efficacy and reduction of gingivitis from using a powered toothbrush compared to a manual toothbrush in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances. Eighty subjects were included in the study with a mean age of 13.53 years. After a baseline examination, patients were randomly assigned to two groups and their teeth were professionally cleaned. The patients were assessed at baseline, two and four weeks using the QHI and SBI. The results showed a significantly superior plaque removal effect (p = 0.0001) and reduction of gingival inflammation (p < 0.05) in those patients using the powered versus the manual toothbrush. The findings were for both whole mouth and partial mouth assessments. In accordance with previous studies, it was demonstrated that the use of a powered toothbrush can be recommended for orthodontic patients with fixed appliances.