Comparison of two powered toothbrushes in the reduction dental plaque

Philips Oral Healthcare has developed a new improved model designated as the Sonicare Elite®. This model exhibits features designed to improve the plaque reduction capabilities of the current model, Sonicare Advance®. Objectives: To determine the difference between the new and current models in reduction of overall and interproximal plaque scores. Methods: A total of 49 experienced Sonicare users were enrolled in the study and randomized into each of two brushing sequence groups. Halfway through the study each group crossed over to use the other brush. Plaque scores were measured following disclosure using the Turesky modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index prior to and and following toothbrushing at 5 post-screening visits over a period of two months. Analysis of variance techniques accounting for the crossover nature of the study were used to test the difference between treatment groups in percent score reduction for overall and interproximal plaque. Between group differences were estimated with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Mean percent plaque reduction for the new and current models respectively (mean(sd)) - overall: 31.9(14.7), 24.6(12.9); interproximal: 27.7(14.2), 20.2(12.7). Over all tooth sites and in interproximal sites there was a greater reduction in plaque, on average, between pre- and post-brushing with the new model as compared to the current model (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: The new model achieved significantly greater plaque reduction than the current model in overall, as well as interproximal sites.