The use of professional brushing to compare 3 toothbrushes for plaque removal from individuals with gingival recession

Background: Toothbrush filament configuration now varies considerably, usually with the intention of improving plaque removal overall or from specific sites. Aims: The aim of the study was to compare 2 branded toothbrushes with a brush designed with a convex filament head arrangement to improve plaque removal from teeth with buccal gingival recession. Methods: The study was a randomised, 3-treatment, double-blind crossover design balanced for residual effects and involving 18 healthy volunteers. On day 1, subjects suspended toothcleaning and returned to the clinic on day 4. Plaque was scored by area and index before and after 2 min of toothbrushing with the allocated brush. Brushing was performed by a hygienist allocating a timed 15 a to each of the 8 buccal and lingual quadrants. 3 days was allowed between treatment periods. Results: Plaque accumulation differed considerably by site as did plaque removal. Overall plaque removal was 40%. Analysis showed significant subject differences but, no significant period or treatment differences. Conclusions: Consistent with other reports, it must be concluded that brush design is not a major variable in plaque removal. However using this "robot"-like model, the dentition of some individuals and specific dental surfaces are inherently more difficult to clean than others.