Effect of an oscillating-rotating power toothbrush on recession

Objective: To observe the recession changes after six months clinical use of an oscillating-rotating power toothbrush and the ADA reference manual toothbrush. Methods: Healthy subjects were appointed to either brushing with the power toothbrush (D17U, Oral-B Laboratories, n=55) or the ADA reference toothbrush (n=54) according to a prospective randomised, controlled, single-blind, parallel design. Participants were asked to brush their teeth twice daily for 2 minutes each with a standard fluoride toothpaste. Attachment loss [mm] and probing pocket depths [mm] were measured at six sites per tooth to the nearest mm by one calibrated examiner at baseline and after 6 months. Recessions were calculated as differences between CAL and PPD at every site. Results: On buccal surfaces between the canine and the first molar, CAL remained almost unchanged for manual toothbrushes (t1: 2.36±0.45mm; t2: 2.31±0.63mm; n.s.) and was reduced for the power toothbrush from 2.62±0.64mm to 2.46±0.84mm (p=0.008, Mann Whitney U-test.). The PPD reductions were found to be from 1.00±0.19mm to 1.02±0.25mm (manual, n.s.) and from 1.02±0.22mm to 1.01±0.28mm (power, n.s.), respectively. Recessions were reduced at these sites from 1.31±0.44mm to 1.25±0.56mm (manual, n.s.) and and from 1.57±0.64mm to 1.44±0.75mm (power, p=0.003). Conclusions: The oscillating-rotating power toothbrush but not the manual toothbrush reduced recessions on the buccal surfaces of lateral teeth and canines. This study was supported by Oral-B Laboratories.