title: The efficacy of a counter-rotational powered toothbrush in the maintenance of endosseous dental implants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although most patients with implants have lost their natural teeth because of poor oral hygiene, limited data exist to guide practitioners in their recommendations of home-care regimens for their patients' endosseous dental implants and maintenance of peri-implant soft-tissue health. The authors conducted a study to compare the home-care effectiveness of a counter-rotational powered tooth-brush with that of conventional home-care regimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before starting the six-year study, the authors trained 85 clinical investigators at 32 dental research centers across the United States in gathering periodontal data. Data for 2,966 implants were entered into a centralized database. Outcomes were derived from 24-month observations of a subset of the implants studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated-measures analysis of the toothbrushing methods used on 2,966 implants showed that the counter-rotational powered toothbrush removed plaque significantly better than manual methods (P < .0001 Wald statistic) from all implant surfaces and at all recall intervals up to 24 months. Similar results were demonstrated for the gingival index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The counter-rotational powered brush appears to be well-suited for home-care regimens aimed at maintaining optimal peri-implant soft-tissue health in patients with dental implants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The importance of maintaining the health of the peri-implant tissues is well-recognized by the dental profession. The counter-rotational powered toothbrush is an effective tool in meeting the oral hygiene challenges associated with implant prosthesis maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Northport Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, N.Y., USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Truhlar
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ochi
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002710:Chlorhexidine