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Efficacy of a sonic toothbrush for plaque removal by caregivers in a special needs population

1998; Wiley; Volume: 18; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1754-4505.1998.tb01740.x

1754-4505

James Day, Michael Martin, Mae M. Chin,

Oral Health Pathology and Treatment

Oral hygiene and oral health are a major concern for long‐term‐care facility residents who are unable to care for themselves. In this six‐week study, the efficacy of a sonic toothbrush (Sonicare®) was compared with traditional manual brushing in a setting where hygiene care was provided by caregivers. Evaluations of plaque levels were made at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks according to the Silness and Löe index. The sonic brush was found to be significantly superior to the manual brush over the trial period (MANCOVA; p = 0.026). Plaque reduction at 6 weeks was found to be 38% with the sonic brush and 6% with the manual brush. The results indicate that the sonic brush may be an effective way to provide improved oral health to nursing home subjects when oral care is caregiver‐provided.