Pilot study of the effectiveness and acceptability of an automatic toothbrush among residents in long-term care

Reduced mobility and/or low cognitive functioning may make it difficult for residents with special care needs in long-term care homes to brush their own teeth every day. Demands on caregiving staff in these homes may also result in skipping essential toothbrushing tasks, resulting in poor oral health.

This article provides the results of a 6-week pilot study that tested the effectiveness and acceptability of the Willo automatic toothbrush "robot" used among residents in long-term care compared to their regular toothbrush. Using a non-randomized delayed-start design with a convenience sample (age 38-82 years, mean = 66.9), each study participant underwent biofilm assessments at three timepoints: (1) baseline as the study began (mean = 2.33), (2) after using their regular toothbrush daily for 3 weeks (mean = 2.21), and (3) after using the Willo automatic toothbrush daily for 3 weeks (mean = 0.31). Using t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA, the Willo was significantly more effective than regular toothbrushing at reducing biofilm (p = .00004) and gingivitis (p = .002) over time. Participants also responded to brief weekly satisfaction surveys about their experiences using the two different brushes. The Willo was generally tolerated among participants, who largely reported that the brush was easy to use, not uncomfortable, and did not cause pain or bleeding. While approximately half of the study participants reported liking the Willo, the remainder did not want to replace their regular brush with the Willo, for a variety of reasons.

We recommend more research on the effectiveness and acceptability of automatic toothbrushes with long-term care residents, caregivers, and others who may benefit from their use.