Evaluation of the Plaque Removing Ability of Conventional and Curved Bristle Toothbrush in Pediatric Patients

The aim of this study was to determine the plaque-removing ability of curved bristle toothbrush compared to conventional, straight bristle, toothbrush The study group consisted of 100 children 12 to 16 years of age. A four week postprophylaxis, parallel, longitudinal, double-blind clinical study was conducted; all volunteers were instructed in specific oral hygiene techniques. Plaque was assessed at baseline and at the end of 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks using the Quigley-Hein plaque index after disclosing with erythrosine red. Gingival status was assessed at baseline and at the end of 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks by using the gingival index of Loe and Silness. Comparative assessment showed a mean of 2.11 +_0.086 mm for group 1 and 2.37 +_ 0.216 mm for group 2, indicating a significant difference between the plaque-removing efficacy of the curved bristle and straight bristle toothbrush. The curved bristle toothbrush was more effective in removing plaque than the conventional toothbrush. (J Int Dent Med Res 2010; 3: (3), pp. 122-125 )