Effects of ultrasonic, electric, and manual toothbrushes on subgingival plaque composition in orthodontically banded molars.

INTRODUCTION Orthodontic appliances hinder mechanical plaque control. In this study, we evaluated the effect of self-performed supragingival plaque removal with ultrasonic, electric, and manual toothbrushes on subgingival plaque composition in orthodontically banded molars. METHODS Twenty-one patients wearing fixed orthodontic appliances were assigned to this single-blind crossover study. Samples of subgingival plaque were collected from banded molars, before and after each toothbrush usage period, for quantification of 22 bacterial species by the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization method. For each crossover, patients used a toothbrush for 30 days, followed by a washout period of 14 days. RESULTS The prevalence of Tannerella forsythia decreased significantly after a month of electric brush usage. In the manual brush group, the prevalences of Selenomonas noxia, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Prevotella melaninogenica also decreased significantly. However, there were no significant differences in the prevalences and levels of bacteria after usage of the ultrasonic brush. Intergroup comparisons showed no statistical differences among the 3 brushes for the microbiologic parameters. CONCLUSIONS All 3 brushes generally reduced bacterial prevalences, and, although electric and manual toothbrushes showed some isolated significant variations, we found no superiority with any toothbrush type when used three times daily for 2 minutes on microbiologic parameters in orthodontically banded molars.