Toothbrush Design and Developmental Characteristics Influencing Plaque Removal in 7-Year-Old Children: A Randomized Crossover Trial.
Ece Baysan Maşızade, Ezgi Baltacı, Nazlı Durmuş et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This single-blind, randomized three-period crossover trial compared conventional manual, triple-headed manual, and rechargeable powered toothbrushes in 60 typically developing 7-year-old children. Plaque reduction was greater with powered and triple-headed brushes than with the conventional brush: 1.833 ± 0.705 and 1.802 ± 0.678, respectively, versus 1.310 ± 0.563 (both p < 0.001). The two alternative designs did not differ (p = 0.963). Approximal plaque removal was highest with the powered brush, while exploratory analyses found lower powered-brush plaque reduction among children with gross motor difficulties.
Key findings
- Plaque reduction was greater with powered (1.833 ± 0.705) and triple-headed manual brushes (1.802 ± 0.678) than with conventional manual brushes (1.310 ± 0.563; both p < 0.001).
- Plaque reduction did not differ between powered and triple-headed brushes (p = 0.963).
- Powered-brush approximal plaque removal reached 75% complete removal on posterior vestibular surfaces (p ≤ 0.016).
- Children with gross motor difficulties had lower plaque reduction with the powered brush than those without such difficulties (p = 0.048).
Why it matters
Toothbrush design was associated with differences in plaque removal in this age group, and the findings suggest that powered and triple-headed brushes may perform similarly and better than a conventional manual brush under trial conditions. The observed variation by gross motor ability also highlights that developmental characteristics may be relevant to brushing performance, although this exploratory result needs confirmation.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 60 typically developing children aged 7 years; the authors state that the gross motor finding requires confirmation in adequately powered studies.