title: The effect of an oscillating/rotating electric toothbrush and a sonic toothbrush on removal of stain from enamel surfaces.
abstract: This laboratory investigation compared the Sonicare toothbrush, the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover and a manual brush, in terms of removal of stained pellicle from the surface of enamel specimens. Enamel specimens were stained over a period of 4 days to produce a stained pellicle film. Staining was assessed photometrically before and after brushing 16 specimens per group for 4.5 minutes with the three test toothbrushes and dentifrice slurry prepared from Crest toothpaste. The positive control consisted of the ADA reference abrasive and a manual toothbrush. Results were expressed as a cleaning ratio (CR), with higher values representing more efficient stain removal. Analysis of results revealed that removal of stain from the enamel surfaces was similar in the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover group (CR 94) and the reference standard group (CR 100). There was no statistically significant difference between these 2 groups. In contrast, stain removal in the Sonicare toothbrush group and the manual toothbrush group was significantly less effective (p<0.01), with a mean CR of 66 and 76, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the cleaning ratio scores for these 2 groups. It is concluded that extrinsic stain removal with the Sonicare toothbrush is similar to that achieved with a manual brush, but that stain removal with the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover is significantly more effective.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Dentistry, Oral Health Research Institute, Indianapolis, USA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Schemehorn
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Keil
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry; D044622:Dental Pellicle; D004867:Equipment Design; D017276:Friction; D008422:Materials Testing; D013010:Sonication; D013499:Surface Properties; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000628:therapy*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*