Efficacy of a Sonic Toothbrush(Sonicare® Elite)on Plaque Removal : Comparison of Bristle Sizes

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a sonic toothbrush(Sonicare® Elite)on plaque removal using different types of bristles. The subjects were 20 staff members with clinically normal gingiva without restorative materials or carious teeth. They were asked to stop all oral hygiene 48 hours before initiation of the study. The same subject brushed using each toothbrush(manual toothbrush:MT group, standard brush of Sonicare® Elite:SB group, minibrush of Sonicare® Elite:MB group)for two minutes a total of three times. Supragingival plaque was evaluated by means of O'Leary's plaque control record(PCR). The plaque removal rate was evaluated by the reduction rate of PCR score. Results showed that both the standard head and minibrush of the sonic toothbrush removed more plaque than the manual toothbrush, although the difference was not statistically significant. The standard brush head removed more plaque than the minibrush with no statistical difference. The standard brush head removed more plaque than the manual toothbrush especially in the upper jaw, lower incisors, and interproximal area. Both the standard brush head and minibrush removed more plaque in the upper molar area than the manual toothbrush. These results indicated that the sonic toothbrush has better plaque removal ability than the manual toothbrush, although no statistical difference was recognized between the standard brush and minibrush.