Plaque and Gingivitis Efficacy of a Tapered Bristle Toothbrush

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that:

1. A tapered bristle toothbrush provides superior efficacy with regards to plaque removal after single brushing
2. A tapered bristle toothbrush provides superior efficacy with regards to plaque and gingivitis after 6 and 12 weeks of brushing.
Methods: A soft tapered-tip bristle toothbrush (SS), was evaluated against a flat-trim toothbrush (FT) for plaque and gingivitis efficacy over 12-weeks. This was a randomized, single center, examiner-blind, two-cell, parallel group clinical study that was approved by an IRB. Plaque efficacy was assessed after a single brushing. Plaque and gingivitis efficacy was assessed after 6 and 12 weeks of brushing.
Results: Seventy-one (71) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the clinical study. The results of this study are shown in the tables.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the soft tapered-tip bristles toothbrush provided significantly greater reduction of supragingival plaque after a single tooth brushing and after 6 and 12 weeks use as compared to a flat-trim toothbrush and also provided a significantly greater reduction in gingivitis after 6 and 12 weeks.