EFFICACY OF A SONIC TOOTHBRUSH ON INFLAMMATION AND PROBING DEPTH IN ADULT PERIODONTITIS

THIS SINGLE-BLIND, 8-WEEK STUDY compared the efficacy of a sonic tooth brush and a manual brush in 40 patients with adult periodontitis. Qual itative clinical indices and quantitative laboratory methods were used to monitor the periodontal status of 3 pockets 5 to 7 mm deep in each subject. Patients were randomly assigned either a sonic or manual too thbrush. The two groups were comparable with respect to age, gender, a nd anatomical location of the test sites. Data were collected from all sites at baseline and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Over the 8-week period, b oth groups showed significant improvements in the clinical indices use d. Descriptive statistics indicated the sonic brush group had greater improvement than the manual group in the clinical parameters (gingival index, bleeding index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level). Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) flow was significantly lower in the s onic brush group (P = 0.018). Considerable variation was present in th e levels detected for both inflammatory cytokines tested, however, con centration of interleukin-l beta was significantly lower in the GCF of sonic group patients (P = 0.05), while concentration of interleukin-6 was significantly reduced in both groups (P less than or equal to 0.0 5) (t tests). Under these conditions, there is some evidence to sugges t that the sonic toothbrush is more beneficial in resolving inflammati on in patients with moderate periodontal disease.