COMPARISON OF A MANUAL AND A NEW ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH FOR CONTROLLING PLAQUE AND GINGIVITIS

In the present clinical trial, the effect on existing plaque and gingi vitis of a new electric toothbrush (ET) was compared to that of a manu al toothbrush (MT). 40 medical students, age 18-30 years, participated . Plaque index (P1I) and gingival index (GI) were recorded at 6 sites at all teeth. At baseline, a P1I and GI >1 were required. The particip ants were at random allocated to a group using either ET or MT and wer e instructed only to use the assigned toothbrush, brushing each mornin g and evening for 2 min. No oral hygiene instruction was given. Re-exa mination was done after 1, 2 and 6 weeks. In the MT group, a minor dec rease in mean P1I was found after 6 weeks (all sites: from 1.2 to 1.1, approximal sites: from 1.4 to 1.2). The corresponding figures in the ET group were: 1.2 to 0.6 and 1.4 to 0.8. After 6 weeks, the % of site s with visible plaque with MT was: 24% (all sites) and 30% (approximal sites) and with ET 8% and 9%, respectively. With MT, mean GI was unch anged after 6 weeks compared to baseline, whereas with ET, the changes were from 1.1 to 0.9 (all sites) and from 1.1 to 1.0 (approximal site s). The % of sites with GI score greater than or equal to 2 had not ch anged after 6 weeks with MT (all sites: 11%, approximal sites: 13%). W ith ET, these results were 3% and 4%, respectively.