Method: Twenty-seven volunteers (average age 33.1 sd 4.6 years) completed the single-blind crossover study. Following a scale and polish, volunteers brushed at home, as usual, with a test toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste (Colgate Regular) for 4 weeks. After 24 hours without oral hygiene, plaque was disclosed and assessed (Turesky et al 1970) pre- and post-brushing. Volunteers continued to use the same toothbrush and toothpaste for a further 4 weeks after which plaque was assessed, as before, both pre- and post-brushing following a 24 hour period without oral hygiene. After a 2-week interval the procedures were repeated such that all of the volunteers had used both of the test toothbrushes.
Results: There was no significant difference in the mean weight of toothpaste used following brushing with either the XTRA Clinical toothbrush (1.37g sd 0.09g) or the CrossAction toothbrush (1.46g sd 0.09g). Mean brushing times were also comparable after both four and eight weeks' use of the toothbrushes (ca. 2m 20s sd 9s), although there was a large variation in individual brushing times. Analysis of Covariance, with brushing time as covariant, was used to compute the mean values of plaque removed. Plaque removal was significantly greater (p<0.001) following brushing with the XTRA Clinical toothbrush after both four (40.8%) and eight weeks (37.4%) than that following brushing with the CrossAction toothbrush (37.9% and 34.7%).
Conclusions: In the absence of formal oral hygiene instruction it may be concluded that following four- and eight-weeks' home-use significantly more plaque was removed by brushing with the XTRA Clinical toothbrush than with the CrossAction toothbrush.
Study supported by New Millennium Scientific, NMOC, Inc. USA.