Comparative Efficacy of Two Power Toothbrushes on Plaque

Objective: Compare the plaque removal efficacy of Philips Sonicare FlexCare (PSF) and Rota-dent One Step (ROS) power toothbrushes. Methods: A randomized, examiner-blinded crossover design study was conducted in a population of healthy adults. At V1 subjects were screened for eligibility after 24 hours of plaque accumulation (Turesky modified Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (TPI) >1.9). Subjects were randomized to the assigned power toothbrush and instructed on its use (twice daily for 2 minutes). Each study product was used at home for a 1-week familiarization period. Subjects abstained from oral hygiene for 24 hours prior to V2 and V3. At subsequent visits, TPI was scored before and after a 2-minute supervised brushing exercise with the assigned toothbrush. Safety was assessed in oral soft tissue examinations at all visits. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Results: 34 subjects were enrolled (22 females, 12 males; mean age 35 years) and randomized per treatment sequence. The mean (SD) overall TPI for the pre-brushing scores at baseline was 2.92(0.44) for both groups. Post-brushing mean percent reduction for PSF and ROS was 45% and 30% overall (p<0.0001), 39% and 29% for posterior (p<0.0001) and 42% and 23% for interproximal (p<0.0001) respectively. No adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: PSF removed significantly more plaque than ROS in subjects with 24-hour plaque deposits. Both toothbrushes were safe on oral tissues. This research was supported by Philips Oral Healthcare.