Comparison of plaque removing ability of one standard and two flexible-head toothbrushes.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study compared the plaque removing ability of two flexible-head toothbrushes and one nonflexible-head toothbrush.


METHODS
Twenty individuals meeting specific criteria participated. Three quadrants on each subject were disclosed and scored using the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein plaque index. For consistency, one dental hygienist performed all brushing and another performed all indices. Pre- and post-brushing scores were compared using t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine differences.


RESULTS
Differences between pre- and post-brushing scores of all groups were significant (p > 0.005). However, no significant differences were detected between mean scores of the test toothbrush groups and the control group of the two test toothbrush groups, or among the means of all groups.


CONCLUSIONS
No differences in plaque removing ability were found between or among the toothbrushes tested.
Warren
Donna P
DP
Department of Dental Public Health and Dental Hygiene, Dental Branch, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Rice
Holly C
HC
Turner
Stewart
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*