2015 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 159-167
Sonic toothbrushes have become increasingly popular in recent years and are believed to have the advantage of a high plaque removal efficacy. Based on this, they are thought to have an effect on the bacterial flora in the periodontal pockets. However, only a few studies have reported the effect of brushing with a sonic toothbrush on the bacterial flora in the periodontal pockets. In this study, we evaluated the effect of brushing with a sonic toothbrush on plaque removal, in addition to its effects on the clinical parameters; furthermore, its effect on the bacterial flora in the periodontal pockets was also evaluated. Sonic toothbrushes operating at three different frequencies or a manual toothbrush were randomly distributed to 40 subjects. The following clinical parameters were assessed: probing pocket depth, gingival bleeding index, and gingival index. O'Leary's plaque control record (PCR) was used to record the degree of control of the dental plaques. The improvement rate was measured by the entries in the plaque control record made at the baseline, and at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the start of use of the assigned tooth brush. Bacterial flora were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction invader assay. Trends towards improvement of the PCR and clinical parameters were recognized between the baseline and the end of 4 weeks in all the groups, with no differences, however, observed among the groups. In addition, no differences were recognized in the number of bacteria in the periodontal pockets. These results suggest that proper use of a toothbrush results in considerable plaque reduction and improvement of the clinical parameters, irrespective of the type of toothbrush used. Furthermore, use of a sonic toothbrush had no effect on the bacterial flora in the periodontal pockets at the end of 4 weeks of use.
