Gingival abrasion and plaque removal after toothbrushing with an electric and a manual toothbrush

The aim of the study was to evaluate the cleanliness achieved with and the number of gingival lesions caused by brushing with a manual, multitufted toothbrush and an electric toothbrush that oscillated horizontally and vertically. Fifteen female dental assistant students participated in the crossover clinical trial. Eight students brushed their teeth for the first 2 weeks with the multitufted manual brush and seven with the electric brush. For the next 2 weeks the brush assignment was reversed. After the two brushing periods the number of gingival lesions and the amount of stained plaque were recorded. The manual toothbrush caused more gingival lesions than the electric brush (P less than 0.05). With regard to plaque scores, no difference was found between manual and electric brushing.