A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus a sonic toothbrush in orthodontic patients using digital imaging analysis of the anterior dentition.

Objective: To compare the plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush with an orthodontic brush head versus a sonic toothbrush in adolescent patients with fixed orthodontic appliances. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, examiner-blind, replicate single-use, two-treatment, four-period, crossover study with a washout period between visits of approximately 24 hours. Forty-four adolescent patients with fixed orthodontic appliances in both arches were randomized based on a computer-generated randomization schedule to one of four toothbrush treatment sequences. The primary outcome was plaque score change from baseline, measured using digital plaque imaging analysis. Results: Baseline plaque levels for both brush treatments were high, covering more than 50% of the tooth area. Effective plaque removal was observed with both brush treatments (P < .001); however, the reduction in plaque with the oscillating-rotating toothbrush was statistically significantly greater (P = .017) compared with the sonic toothbrush. Conclusions: The study provides evidence for more effective plaque-removing efficacy of the oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus the sonic toothbrush among orthodontic patients.