title: A laboratory based investigation of a new elastic toothbrush head.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the noninferiority of a new toothbrush head with retractile bristles compared to traditional toothbrush heads on dental models.
  
  
  METHODS
  The new toothbrush head, mounted on manual and electrical handles, presents retractile bristle groups that can singularly retract over its entire length and offer calibrated resistance. Fourteen gypsum models of dental arches, twelve with and two without anatomical impairments, were spread with a "plaque simulator." Each arch was brushed twice with each of the four toothbrushes, one minute by the same operator, blinded to the study. The plaque index (PI) was recorded at the end of each brushing session. GLM for repeated measures analysed the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On all the casts, the manual prototype and the electric prototype, removed 11% and 14% more "plaque simulator" compared to the standard toothbrush. In presence of dental anomalies, the prototypes removed 13% and 16% more plaque, respectively, compared to standard toothbrushes (P = 0.04). In both situations, the 95% confidence intervals of PI did not include -10% (the minimal margin of clinical relevance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prototype is more effective in removing plaque from the casts with anomalies. The noninferiority of the prototype with respect to the standard toothbrushes was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna School of Dentistry, Via San Vitale 59, 40125 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8874-7648
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna School of Dentistry, Via San Vitale 59, 40125 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0216-9056
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna School of Dentistry, Via San Vitale 59, 40125 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9704-0671
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna School of Dentistry, Via San Vitale 59, 40125 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Andrea
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5781-6631
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Pelliccioni
mesh_terms: D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000473:pathology; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*