The plaque removal efficacy of a novel power brush head.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating/rotating power toothbrush with novel brush head (Oral-B Precision Clean) in comparison to an American Dental Association (ADA) reference manual toothbrush.

METHODS

This was a replicate-use, single-brushing, two-treatment, examiner-blind, randomized, four-period (visit) study with a crossover design. At each visit, subjects disclosed their plaque with disclosing solution for one minute, and an examiner performed a baseline (pre-brushing) plaque examination (Rustogi, et al. Modification of the Navy Plaque Index). Subjects were then instructed to brush for two minutes (according to manufacturer's instructions) with their assigned power toothbrush or as they normally do with the ADA manual brush under supervision, after which they again disclosed their plaque and were given a post-brushing plaque examination.

RESULTS

Both the power brush and manual brush showed statistically significant plaque reductions from baseline for the whole mouth, along the gingival margin, and on approximal surfaces. The power brush showed statistically significant advantages (p < 0.001) over the manual brush in plaque reduction for whole mouth (28.8%), gingival margin (44.3%), and approximal surfaces (20.7%).

CONCLUSION

The oscillating/rotating power toothbrush with a novel brush head showed statistically significantly superior plaque reduction (whole mouth, gingival margin, and approximal surfaces) compared to a manual toothbrush.