Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Different Types of Toothbrushes Among 8-12-year-old Children

Dental caries and periodontal diseases are considered the most common oral diseases that could be controlled by daily toothbrushing using a toothbrush. However, manual regular toothbrushing techniques may be performed incorrectly due to the inadequately developed motor skills of children. The new U-shaped toothbrush does not require as much control, and it is much easier to handle. Our objectives are to compare the effectiveness of plaque removal among three toothbrushes: Manual U-shaped toothbrush (U), battery-powered regular toothbrush (E), manual regular toothbrush (R), and the three above-mentioned to the control group (no brushing) (C).

This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital (KAUDH). A total of 56 participants (8-12-year-old) were randomly divided into the above-mentioned four groups. Two examiners conducted the study, where the first examiner was blinded to the type of toothbrush used, and was responsible for recording the full-mouth plaque score (FMPS) before and after brushing, while the second examiner was responsible for teaching children how to use the assigned toothbrush.

For the FMPS means difference, a significant difference was found between the brushing groups (p < 0.001), post hoc testing showed statistically significant differences between (C) and (R) (p < 0.001), (C) and (E) (p < 0.001), (R) and (E) (p < 0.001), and (E) and (U) (p < 0.001), but not between (C) and (U) (p = 0.1229), or (R) and (U) (p = 0.1229).

The plaque removal efficiency was observed among (E), followed by (R), then (U) toothbrushes among children aged 8-12 years.

Abdullah AM, Ainousa AM, Andijani BM, et al. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Different Types of Toothbrushes Among 8-12-year-old Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2025;18(11):1318-1321.