T-shaped toothbrush for plaque removal and gingival health in children: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Background To evaluate an experimental T-shaped toothbrush for plaque removal and gingival health when compared to a conventional toothbrush among children. Methods This single blind parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted on 8–10-year-old healthy schoolchildren with no history of recent antibiotic intake, proximal caries or more than 3 missing teeth per quadrant. A computer-generated randomization list allocated child to the 2 groups. Each child received detailed instructions for tooth brushing. Gingival health and plaque scores were recorded in school at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months in a portable dental chair by an examiner who was blind to the allocated toothbrush. A general feedback on the use of the T-shaped toothbrush was obtained at 3 months. Data was analyzed using two-way repeated measure ANOVA, Generalized estimating equation and Bonferroni test. Results A total of 195 eligible children were invited, 110 parents gave consent and 100 children completed the study; 50 in each group. There were statistically significant reductions in mean gingival and plaque scores at each visit when compared to baseline for both toothbrushes (p 0.05). Majority of participants gave positive feedback regarding the T-shaped toothbrush. Conclusions Both toothbrushes had similar efficacy in removing plaque and improving gingival health among children. The T-shaped toothbrush is an alternative to the conventional toothbrush for oral hygiene in children. Trial registration Retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Registry—NCT03989479 18/06/2019.

Keywords

• Toothbrush
• Plaque removal
• Gingival health
• Oral hygiene
• Children