A clinical trial testing the efficacy of an ionic toothbrush for reducing plaque and gingivitis

This study was designed to assess the efficacy of an ionic toothbrush on reducing plaque and gingivitis.

Twenty first-year dental students were included in the study. Ten individuals were randomly assigned to use either an ionic or a conventional toothbrush. Two periods of 28 days each were used with each brush, with a wash-out period of 14 days. A calibrated examiner used the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (QHI) and Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI) on six sites per tooth, on all teeth, both pre- and post-brushing. The examiner was unaware of the toothbrush used by the subjects. Means were calculated, and for intra and inter-group comparisons a paired sample t-test was used (alpha = 0.05).

On buccal-lingual surfaces, both toothbrushes significantly reduced plaque; there was no statistically significant difference between the two toothbrushes (1.56 and 1.52 for ionic and conventional toothbrushes, respectively). In interdental spaces, an increase of QHI was detected for both brushes, but without significant differences between them. For the GBI on buccal/lingual surfaces, no significant differences were detected between toothbrushes. The GBI did not significantly change for either toothbrush on interdental surfaces during the study period.

The ionic and the conventional toothbrushes did not present statistically significant differences on plaque and gingival bleeding reductions.