Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a new sonic toothbrush
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the reduction in supragingival plaque, gingivitis, and sulcular bleeding after brushing with a new sonic toothbrush compared to a control (manual) brush. The new sonic brush operates at 520 brush strokes per second (260 Hz) and produces acoustic vibrations in the fluid surrounding the bristles. Fifty-one individuals completed this six-month randomized, single-blind, controlled clinical study. Inclusion criteria included ages between 18 and 65, a minimum of 20 teeth, a mean gingival index of 1.5 on the six Ramfjord teeth, and no periodontal treatment for the past 24 months. The subjects were randomly assigned into one of two groups: experimental and control. Both groups were provided a set of brushing instructions prior to a demonstration of proper device usage. They were instructed to brush at home twice daily for a two-minute interval.
All subjects were examined at baseline, 1, 2, and 4 weeks for oral abrasions or ulcerations, plaque index, and gingival inflammation. Twenty-nine subjects of the original 51 resumed after six months in order to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the brushes. Results revealed that the mean plaque scores at weeks 1, 2, and 4 were significantly different (lower) from the initial plaque score for the sonic toothbrush, but not for the manual. When plaque scores were separated by area of dentition, the sonic toothbrush demonstrated an improved level of plaque removal from 1.5 to 11.9 times better than the manual brush, with the greatest improvements in the interproximal and lingual areas. Gingivitis scores revealed a significant reduction in both groups during the study period. Similarly, both groups demonstrated decreased percentage of bleeding sites over the study period. There was no difference in the amount of gingival recession or soft tissue abnormalities throughout the study between the two brushes. The authors concluded that the sonic brush achieves superior plaque removal and attains a similar reduction in gingival inflammation compared to a manual brush. |M.J.D.]
Johnson, B.D., and C. McInnes, J Periodont, 65:692, 1994