Clinical studies regarding the plaque removal efficacy of manual toothbrushes

Two independent cross-over design studies were performed to compare two toothbrushes for their ability to remove plaque. In Study I, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was compared to the Oral-B 40 toothbrush; in Study II, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was compared to the Reach Full-Head soft toothbrush. A total of 54 and 72 adult male and female subjects who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria completed Study I and Study II, respectively. In each study, subjects refrained from brushing for 24 hours, and were screened for dental plaque on the facial and lingual surfaces of all natural teeth, using the Rustogi, et al. index. Based on mean scores and number of teeth, qualifying subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects were then scheduled to return one week later, having again abstained from all oral hygiene procedures for a 24-hour period. At this visit, each subject was evaluated for plaque, then brushed with his/her assigned toothbrush for sixty seconds, and was again scored for plaque after brushing. Subjects were instructed to resume their normal routine and return to the clinical site one week later. At this visit, a different test toothbrush was assigned to each group in a cross-over design. Plaque evaluations and toothbrushing procedures were again performed. In both studies, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was significantly more effective (p < 0.01) than either the Oral-B 40 toothbrush or the Reach Full-Head soft toothbrush in reducing whole mouth plaque scores, plaque scores at the gumline, and plaque scores at interproximal areas.