title: A clinical investigation into the effect of toothbrush wear on efficacy.
abstract: It is generally recommended that toothbrushes should be replaced after three-months' use in order to maintain efficacy. This clinical investigation employed a single-use, cross-over study and a three-month parallel-group study to investigate the effect of toothbrush wear on plaque and gingival health. Toothbrushes were artificially worn using a laboratory wear machine to simulate three months of clinical toothbrush use. Results from the single-use study showed that both the new and the worn toothbrushes significantly reduced whole mouth, marginal and approximal plaque scores from pre- to post-brushing (p < 0.0001). The new brush was, however, significantly more effective than the worn brush, demonstrating 13.4%, 11.0%, and 17.0% greater plaque reduction for whole mouth, marginal and approximal sites, respectively (p < 0.0001). Results from the three-month study confirmed this finding, with significant differences in plaque reduction (p < 0.0001) between the new and worn toothbrushes at 6 and 12 weeks for all sites. A significant difference (p < 0.0001) between the groups was also found for mean whole mouth gingivitis scores; this difference favoring the new brush at both 6 and 12 weeks. Examination of hard and soft oral tissues revealed no significant difference between the new and the worn brushes with respect to safety. It is concluded that a worn toothbrush is less effective than a new toothbrush for plaque removal and control of gingivitis.
authors.affiliation: Oral-B Laboratories, The Gillette Company, Boston, MA, USA. paul_warren@gillette.com
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Mari-Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Bernard V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Chater
authors.forename: Dennis W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004396:Coloring Agents; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D010512:Periodontal Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013499:Surface Properties; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents