title: The effectiveness of an ionic toothbrush in the removal of dental plaque and reduction on gingivitis in orthodontic patients.
abstract: This investigation was undertaken to determine if an ionic toothbrush was effective at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis in patients wearing orthodontic appliances. Fifty-two orthodontic patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups and completed a six-week double-blind study. Group 1 consisted of the test group using the ionic toothbrush with an active battery; group 2 consisted of the control group using the ionic toothbrush with an inactive battery. The plaque and gingival indices were measured at baseline, two weeks, and six weeks. The findings demonstrated that the active ionic toothbrush was no more effective at plaque removal and gingivitis reduction than the inactive toothbrush. Although the active toothbrush did effectively remove plaque and reduce gingivitis over the course of six weeks, it showed no significant improvement over the same toothbrush that contained an inactive battery. It was observed that the ionic toothbrush effectively reduced plaque and gingivitis regardless of the presence or absence of an active battery. The clinical findings demonstrated that an active ionic toothbrush was no more effective in removing plaque and reducing gingivitis in patients with orthodontic appliances than an inactive ionic toothbrush.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration, Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pucher
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lamendola-Sitenga
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Swoll
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances / Q000009:adverse effects; D010512:Periodontal Index; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome