Indiana University School of Dentistry/Oral Health Research Institute

By Bruce Schemehorn M.S.

S.L. Yankell, X. Shi, C.M. Spirgel Yankell Research Consultants Inc. Moorestown, NJ.

Laboratory Interproximal Access Efficacy of the TiFinity and Sonicare Elite Toothbrushes.

Journal of Clinical Dentistry.

Efficacy Comparison: Nylon vs. TiFinity.

Journal of Clinical Dentistry

Clinical Investigation into the Effect of Toothbrush Wear on Efficacy

Paul R. Warren, LDS

Diane Jacobs, DDS MS

Mari-Anne Low, RDH, MS

Bernard V. Chater, PhD

Dennis W. King, PhD

Oral-B Laboratories

The Gillette Company Boston, MA, U.S.A.

Abstract

It is generally recommended that toothbrushes should be replaced after three-months’ use in order to maintain efficacy. This

clinical investigation employed a single-use, crossover study and a three-month parallel-group study to investigate the effect

of toothbrush wear on plaque and gingival health. Toothbrushes were artificially worn using a laboratory wear machine to

simulate three months of clinical toothbrush use. Results from the single-use study showed that both the new and the worn

toothbrushes significantly reduced whole mouth, marginal and approximal plaque scores from pre- to post- brushing (p<0.

0001). The new brush was, however, significantly more effective that the worn brush, demonstrating 13.4%, 11.0% and

17.0% greater plaque reduction for whole mouth, marginal and approximal sites, respectively (p<0.0001). Results from the

three-month study confirmed this finding, with significant differences in plaque reductions (p<0.0001) between the new and

worn toothbrushes at 6 and 12 weeks for all sites. A significant difference (p<0.0001) between the groups was also found for

mean whole mouth gingivitis scores; this difference favoring the new brush at both 6 and 12 weeks. Examination of hard and

soft oral tissues revealed no significant difference between the new and the worn brushes with respect to safety. It is

concluded that a worn toothbrush is less effective than a new toothbrush for plaque removal and control of gingivitis. (J Clin

Dent 13:119-124, 2002.)