Powered toothbrushes: a review of clinical trials

There is now a vast range of powered toothbrushes (PTBs) available on the market and the efficacy of each product is usually determined in one, or a series of controlled clinical trials. This article reviews briefly the design of PTBs, some of the proposed indications for their use, and the principal observations from published studies of these products. The important issues regarding the regulation and design of trials involving PTBs are discussed and some recommendations are proposed with a view to developing a more structured approach to testing these products.