Dental News - New study suggests electric toothbrush valuable for paediatric dental care

Anisha Hall Hoppe, Dental Tribune International

Wed. 15. November 2023

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JERUSALEM, Israel: Electric toothbrushes, particularly those with oscillating-rotating (O-R) movements, have shown superior plaque removal efficacy compared with manual brushes in adults and children. However, there is limited evidence on their long-term effectiveness in reducing gingivitis and plaque in preschool-aged children. A study by researchers at the Hebrew University–Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Jerusalem has compared the efficacy of an O-R toothbrush with that of a manual toothbrush in children with primary and mixed dentition and made significant findings in favour of O-R toothbrushes.

The randomised, examiner-blind clinical trial involved 100 children aged 3–10 years who were showing signs of dental plaque and gingivitis at baseline. The study took place over four weeks. The children were divided into two age groups: 3–6 years, where parents performed brushing, and 7–10 years, where children brushed their teeth themselves.

Gingivitis was evaluated using the Modified Gingival Index, and plaque was assessed with the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein plaque index. The study also considered demographic and baseline clinical data. The primary outcome was the change in whole-mouth gingivitis and plaque scores from baseline to the end of the study.

In terms of plaque reduction, the O-R brush was markedly more effective than the manual brush across all age groups, achieving a 75.9% greater reduction in whole-mouth plaque and 58.9% in posterior teeth than the manual brush. In the 3–6 years age group, the O-R brush showed a 55.7% greater reduction in whole-mouth plaque and 34.3% in posterior teeth. For the 7–10 years age group, the O-R brush’s effectiveness was even more pronounced, producing a 94.5% greater reduction in whole-mouth plaque and 108.4% in posterior teeth.

While both toothbrushes significantly reduced gingivitis scores, the O-R brush showed a 16.5% greater reduction in whole-mouth gingivitis and 18.0% in the posterior region for the combined age group. In the older age group, the O-R brush achieved a 14.1% greater reduction in whole-mouth gingivitis and 18.8% in posterior teeth. However, in the younger age group, the difference in gingivitis reduction between the two types of brushes was not statistically significant.

The study underscores the effectiveness of O-R toothbrushes in reducing plaque and gingivitis in children, the most significant benefits being observed in older children who brush their own teeth. This aligns with previous studies indicating the superior efficacy of O-R brushes in paediatric oral health. The study also notes that the O-R brush contributed to improved toothbrushing compliance and reduced plaque in a separate oral health initiative for young children.

The study, titled “A 4-week randomized controlled trial evaluating plaque and gingivitis effects of an electric toothbrush in a paediatric population”, was published online on 20 October 2023 in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, ahead of inclusion in an issue.