Gingival Margin Cleaning and Subgingival Access Efficacy of Three Toothbrushes

Objectives: Laboratory procedures to evaluate plaque removal at the gingival margin (Gingival Margin Cleaning, GMC) or the depth of plaque deposit removed below the gingival margin (Subgingival Access Efficacy, SAE) have been utilized to compare efficacy of various toothbrush designs and textures. The purpose of these studies was to compare a new toothbrush (SILKY), with Oral-B Indicator and Oral-B CrossAction.

Methods: In both the GMC and SAE assays, the toothbrush was aligned with the gingival papillae and the brushing apparatus was set to brush in a horizontal motion for 60 seconds at two strokes per second with a 15mm stroke and a brushing weight 500g. In the GMC assay, the length of plaque removed from the gingival margin was measured. For SAE, the maximum distance of the artificial plaque removed from margin of the simulated gingivae was determined. Twenty-four evaluations on each toothbrush product were performed. Data were analyzed using t-tests between the three groups, assuming unequal variances.

Results: Efficacy data in the GMC and SAE assays is presented in the Table:

Toothbrush SILKY Oral-B CrossAction Oral-B Indicator

Mean ( SD), mm

GMC 9.6 (1.1)) 4.5 (3.1) 1.4 (1.6)

SAE 3.7 (0.5) 0.9 (0. 0.5 (1.4)

In both assays the SILKY toothbrush had significantly higher (p<0.001) mean values than the Oral-B products. The Oral-B CrossAction had significantly higher (p< 0.001) mean values than the Oral-B Indicator. Conclusion: The laboratory assessments of Gingival Margin Cleaning and Subgingival Access Efficacy demonstrated substantial differences among the dentifrice products tested. In both assays, efficacy was ranked as: SILKY > Oral-B CrossAction > Oral-B Indicator. All rankings were significantly different (p< 0,001).