A laboratory comparison of the efficacy of battery-operated, non-rechargeable power toothbrushes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cleaning efficacy of three battery-operated, non-rechargeable, oscillating/rotating power toothbrushes, using a robot system to simulate normal clinical toothbrush use.


METHODS
The study compared the cleaning efficacy of the new Braun Oral-B D4/EB4 with the Actibrush and the Dr. Best Powerclean in two independent experiments. Plaque substitute was applied to the artificial teeth of typodonts, which were cleaned by the robot system for a total of 2 minutes at a brushing force of 1.95 N. The remaining plaque substitute on buccal + lingual/palatal and occlusal surfaces, as well as gingival margin and interproximal sites, was measured using a computerized vision system.


RESULTS
The new D4/EB4 was found to remove more plaque substitute than the Actibrush at all sites, and for all surfaces, lingual surfaces and occlusal surfaces the difference in favor of the D4/EB4 was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In comparison with the Powerclean toothbrush, the D4/EB4 was significantly more effective at all sites (P < 0.001). These results indicate that not all battery-operated oscillating/rotating power toothbrushes have equal efficacy with respect to plaque removal and that, in this series of laboratory experiments, the Braun Oral-B D4/EB4 was more effective than the Actibrush and the Dr. Best Powerclean.
Driesen
G M
GM
Applied Research and Testing Oral Care, Oral-B Laboratories, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Georges_Driesen@gillette.com
Warren
P R
PR
Bielfeldt
U
U
Helbig
G
G
D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D003765:Models, Dental; D012371:Robotics; D012399:Rotation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors; D014093:Tooth, Artificial; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*