A comparison of the efficacy of 2 powered toothbrushes in affecting plaque accumulation, gingivitis, and gingival bleeding

Background: The purpose of this 30-day blinded, parallel-design study was to compare the effect of 2 powered toothbrushes, the Rowenta MH700 and the Braun Plak Control Ultra, on reducing plaque accumulation, gingivitis, and gingival bleeding in a cohort of 60 healthy adults. Methods: After baseline evaluation of plaque, gingivitis, and gingival bleeding, subjects were randomly assigned to one of the experimental groups, provided written and verbal toothbrushing instructions, and had their teeth polished. At 2 weeks (follow-up 1 ) and 4 weeks (follow-up 2), all clinical parameters were again evaluated. Results: The Braun group demonstrated a nearly significant reduction in gingival index (GI) and a significant reduction in GI at follow-up 2. The Rowenta group demonstrated significant reductions in GI, plaque index (PI), and bleeding index (GBI) at both follow-up 1 and 2 examinations. At follow-up 1, the Braun group demonstrated a nearly significant reduction in GI, a significant reduction in PI, and a non-significant reduction in GBI. At follow-up 2, the Braun group demonstrated a significant reduction in GBI, but not a significant reduction in PI. The reduction in GI for the Rowenta group was significantly greater (P values of 0.0001 and 0.0001, respectively) than that demonstrated in the Braun group. However, the Rowenta group did not demonstrate a significantly greater reduction in PI (P values of 0.7135 and 0.3184 for follow-up 1 and follow-up 2, respectively) or GBI than the Braun group at either examination (P values of 0.0663 and 0.3397 for follow-up 1 and 2, respectively). Conclusions: The results of this study support the findings of numerous other studies that powered toothbrushes have great potential to remove plaque and improve gingival health and that the improvement can be demonstrated in a relatively short period of time.