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Cleaning performance of electric toothbrushes around brackets applying different brushing forces: an in-vitro study
Reto L Rominger1, Raphael Patcas1, Blend Hamza2
1Clinic of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 11, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
Scientific Reports
|March 12, 2024
Summary
Effective plaque control during orthodontic treatment is vital. This study found that electric toothbrush cleaning performance around brackets varies, with proximal areas showing the most plaque. The Paro® Sonic toothbrush demonstrated the best cleaning results.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Biomaterials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Maintaining oral hygiene during fixed orthodontic appliance treatment is challenging due to plaque accumulation around brackets.
- Effective plaque removal is critical for preventing dental caries and gingivitis in orthodontic patients.
- Electric toothbrushes offer potential advantages in cleaning efficiency compared to manual brushing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the plaque-removing efficacy of eleven different electric toothbrush heads (oscillating-rotating and sonic) around orthodontic brackets.
- To assess the influence of brushing force (1 N and 1.5 N) on cleaning performance.
- To identify areas around orthodontic brackets with the highest residual plaque contamination.
Main Methods:
- An in-vitro study using artificial teeth with fixed orthodontic brackets (Mini Diamond® Twin).
- Teeth were coated with titanium oxide and subjected to simulated brushing with eleven brush heads at 1 N and 1.5 N forces.
- Quantitative planimetric analysis was performed to measure residual contamination in proximal, mid-tier, and distant areas relative to the bracket.
Main Results:
- Residual contamination was highest in the proximal area (closest to the bracket) across all tested brushes and forces.
- Areas further from the bracket (>2 mm) showed significantly less contamination than mid-tier (1-2 mm) and proximal areas (<1 mm).
- The Paro® Sonic toothbrush exhibited the least residual contamination. Nine out of eleven toothbrushes performed better at 1.5 N than 1 N brushing force.
Conclusions:
- Electric toothbrush cleaning performance around orthodontic brackets varies significantly among different brush heads and motion types.
- The region immediately adjacent to the orthodontic bracket (proximal area) presents the greatest challenge for plaque removal.
- A brushing force of 1.5 N generally resulted in more effective cleaning than 1 N for most electric toothbrushes evaluated.
