The effect of a new electric toothbrush on supragingival plaque and gingivitis.
This study tested the effectiveness of a rechargeable electric toothbrush, Interplak, in removing supragingival plaque and resolving gingivitis. Forty adults with gingivitis were randomly assigned to either a "manual" or "electric" group. Detailed oral hygiene instructions were given and a blind examiner assessed plaque scores before and after brushing, toothbrush abrasion, and gingival inflammation at baseline, 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Subjects using the electric brush had significantly lower (P less than 0.05) mean plaque and gingival inflammation scores. The electric group's plaque scores fell from 77% at baseline to 28% (before brushing) and 14% (after brushing) at 4 weeks; the manual group's dropped from 75% to 50% and 30% (before and after brushing, respectively). The mean G.I. for the electric group fell from 1.65 at baseline to 1.28 at 4 weeks, while the manual group's scores decreased from 1.65 to 1.43. The results suggest that the electric brush removed supragingival plaque and resolved gingivitis better than the manual brush over a 28-day period. However, a telephone survey conducted 6 months later indicated that most subjects were not using the device twice a day as they had during the study.
Baab
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DA
Department of Periodontics, University of Washington, Seattle.
Johnson
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RH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000293:injuries; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011897:Random Allocation; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods