title: Clinical assessment of the INTERPLAK toothbrush vs a conventional brush plus floss.
abstract: Thirty clinical recall patients from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry participated in a 4-week study to determine the long-term effectiveness of the INTERPLAK Home Plaque-Removal Instrument compared to manual brushing and flossing. Patients were divided into two groups, with each group using the INTERPLAK device for 2 months and the manual brush for 2 months. Patients were assessed according to measured indices for plaque, bleeding, crevice depth, and calculus. The study found that both kinds of brushes significantly reduced plaque, bleeding, and crevice depth; however, only the INTERPLAK brush reduced calculus. Improvements on all indices were greater for the INTERPLAK device than they were for manual brushing and flossing. At the end of the 4 months, most patients indicated that they would continue to use the INTERPLAK device.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Drisko
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Killoy
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Tira
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Love
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000628:therapy*; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010512:Periodontal Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*