Abstract
Plaque control by brushing of teeth plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. This study was designed to evaluate the plaque removal efficacy of two types of sonic toothbrushes. Twenty dentists with clinically healthy gingiva and without restorative materials or carious teeth participated in this study. Plaque scores (the modified Plaque Control Record of O\_c00096Leary) were recorded before and after the brushing trials. Section 1: Subjects brushed their teeth using each toothbrush (manual toothbrush: MT group, Sonicare® Elite with standard brush head : ES group, Sonicare® Elite with minibrush head : EM group) for 2 minutes and 4 minutes.
Section 2 : The same subjects brushed their teeth using the new type of sonic toothbrush (Sonicare® FlexCare with standard brushhead : FS group, Sonicare® FlexCare with minibrush head : FM group) for 4 minutes.
The results indicated that the highest rate of plaque removal was obtained after brushing with EM for 4 minutes. Moreover, the plaque removal efficiency of brushing with FM was statistically significantly greater than that of brushing with ES for 4 minutes. The subjects\_c00096 brushing experience with Sonicare® FlexCare seemed to be more favorable than that with Sonicare® Elite. The brushing time of 2 minutes was considered to be too short to detect any significant advantage of the minibrush head. However, when the brushing time was lengthened, the minibrush head reached the proximal surfaces and buccal molar teeth more effectively.
The Sonicare® FlexCare (smaller, lighter, and lesser vibration) not only allowed superior plaque removal, but also gave a pleasant brushing experience, which may be a significant factor in long-term use.
Nihon Shishubyo Gakkai Kaishi (J Jpn Soc Periodontol) 53(4):235-242,2011.
