Efficacy of an Automatic Toothbrush

Efficacy of an Automatic Toothbrush With Nylon Bristles in Removing Dental Plaque: a Randomized Cross-over Study

The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy in terms of bacterial plaque removal, in a single use, of a new Y-shaped automatic electric toothbrush with nylon bristles, compared with the electric toothbrush of similar shape but with silicone bristles, with the manual toothbrush, and with a negative control (no brushing) in a group of volunteer students. Primary endpoint: difference in "full mouth plaque score" between before and after brushing. Secondary endpoint: sensation of "clean mouth" assessed on VAS scale from 0 to 10 where 0 indicates no sensation of clean mouth and 10 maximum sensation of clean mouth. Single-center, randomized, controlled, superiority, cross-over, examiner-blinded study with 5 treatments (Y-shaped electric toothbrush with nylon bristles, similarly shaped electric toothbrush with silicone bristles, manual brushing for 45 seconds, manual brushing for 2 minutes, no brushing), carried out in a single session and spaced one week apart.

Sensation of "clean mouth" assessed on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 10 where 0 indicates no sensation of clean mouth and 10 maximum sensation of clean mouth

Inclusion Criteria: Absence of fixed orthodontic appliances Presence of at least 20 teeth Full mouth plaque score greater than 40% Having provided signed and dated informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Subjects with manual inability to perform normal oral hygiene maneuvers Subjects allergic to silicone or nylon.