Effectiveness of Raffia-type Material for Interproximal Dental Cleaning

“Objective:” To determine the effectiveness and patient acceptance of the alternative raffia-type used during two months as an alternative material for cleaning interproximal surfaces.

“Materials:” Ninety-six young individuals participated in the control group of an experimental double-blind study, while one-hundred five young individuals were selected for the experimental group. The study had a eight-week duration. Subjects had three training sessions dealing with the use of materials related to cleaning interproximal surfaces. The study obtained the pre and post bacterial plaque indexes by using the modified Quigley-Hein plaque index, gingival index of Loe and Silness, and presence of grooves in the interproximal papilla as well as lip comissures, through the record of a map of soft tissues. The subjective evaluation suggested by Hannes et al. was administered.

“Results:” A significant difference was observed between the average of the initial and final plaque indexes and the average of the gingival index both in the young people who used the raffia (p < 0.05) and those individuals who used the material of the control group (floss) (p < 0.05). A greater proportion of young subjects found raffia prone to tear, harmful for gingival, thick, difficult to introduce it between teeth, and uncomfortable to use.

“Conclusion:” Raffia was effective in the removal of the average of bacterial plaque index and gingival index. The user's acceptance of the alternative material presented problems related to the comfort in the use of raffia.