Lalitha B. Shiggaon, Amol R. Agrawal , Mayur A. Dhavan , Alka S.Waghmare , Rinnu Alex Mathew , Shilpa Ashokkumar Fotani 

ABSTRACT

Plaque is the major etiology of periodontal disease and dental caries. Daily plaque removal is critical for long term success of all periodontal and dental treatment. Soft bristles brush with modified bristles tip designs shows better plaque removal and less gingival trauma. Aims: To compare the efficacy of four different tooth brushes bristle tip design in plaque removal. Methods and material: The study was a randomized, double blind concurrent parallel design. 40 subjects aged 20-22 years participated in the study. The subjects were rendered plaque free and were asked to suspend oral hygiene practices for 24 hours. On day 2, the subjects were scored for plaque prior to brushing using the Quigley-Hein plaque index. The subjects then brushed with the allocated toothbrush for 2 minutes and the post-brushing plaque scores were assessed. Further subjects were recalled twice at an interval of 4 days for plaque scoring. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), 17.0 Software was used. Paired t test and one way ANOVA test were used. Results: During all the 3 test periods the sensodyne toothbrush with standard round end tip bristles showed better plaque removal followed by Tri-tip, Colgate 360 floss tip and Colgate slim soft. Conclusion: The Brush B showed a slightly greater reduction in plaque when compared to the other three brushes.