Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2020 | Gingiva Index | Research article
Comparison of dental plaque reduction after use of electric toothbrushes with and without QLF-D-applied plaque visualization: a 1-week randomized controlled trial
Published in: BMC Oral Health | Issue 1/2020
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Background
To evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed electric toothbrush in reducing dental plaque via a quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital (QLF-D)-applied visualisation system in the brush head.
Methods
Participants included 20 adults aged 19 to 28 years. Participants were randomly assigned either (i) an electric toothbrush with a monitor to visualise red-fluorescent dental plaque via a camera built into the brush head (monitor usage group, n = 10) or (ii) an electric toothbrush without a monitor (monitor-non-use group, n = 10). The amount of dental plaque was assessed by personal hygiene performance (PHP) at baseline and 1 week later.
Results
In the monitor-usage group, PHP score was significantly lower at the 1-week follow-up than at baseline (6 vs 16; range, 0–12 vs 13–21; P = 0.029). This change was not observed in the monitor-non-use group (14 vs 13; range, 6–21 vs 2–26; P = 0.778). After 1 week, the change in PHP scores in the monitor usage group was significantly greater than that in the monitor non-use group (− 10 vs 0; range, − 21 to 9 vs − 8 to 16; P = 0.021).
Conclusions
Our results clearly demonstrate that brushing teeth while looking at a monitor that depicts red-autofluorescent dental plaque via application of QLF-D improved the efficacy of dental-plaque removal relative to brushing teeth without a monitor.
Trial registration
Trial registration number: UMIN000033699.
Name of registry: Study on effect of new devise for oral care on dental plaque clearance.
Date of registration: 8th September 2018.
Status of registration: Completed.