Development of a Powered Toothbrush Head for Improved Efficacy

The efficacy of a powered toothbrush is influenced partly by the design of the brushhead, including such factors as head and neck shape, and bristle profile, density, and orientation. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of bristle trim profile of a prototype sonic toothbrush (Philips Oral Healthcare, Inc.) on dental plaque reduction and user comfort. Methods: A single blind, randomized study was conducted with 10 healthy experienced powered toothbrush users. Pre- and post-brushing plaque scores were recorded using the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index. Subjects with a plaque index greater than 1.8 after no oral hygiene for 24 hours were enrolled in the study. Subjects had 4 clinical evaluations, 1 with each of 3 prototypes (different trim profiles) and 1 reference brush (Sonicare®). At each evaluation subjects brushed with their assigned device for 2 minutes. A preference questionnaire was given at completion of the study. Results: Collectively, the prototype brushheads reduced plaque by 60.9%, 56.9%, and 57.3% for the overall, interproximal, and posterior regions, respectively. Compared to the reference brush, the prototype designs resulted in 33%, 39%, and 32% more plaque removal for the overall, interproximal, and posterior regions, respectively. There was a strong preference for each of the prototypes regarding size of the brush head, which presumably influenced the favorable perception of access and cleaning in hard to reach areas of the mouth. Conclusion: Each of the 3 prototype brush heads resulted in statistically superior overall plaque reduction compared to the reference brush (p<0.05). There was a tendency of one design to outperform the other two, however, the difference between the 3 prototype brushheads was not statistically significant (p>0.05).