Comparison of plaque removal efficacy of a battery-powered toothbrush and a manual toothbrush: a single-use clinical study in New Jersey.

OBJECTIVE: This single-use, examiner-blind clinical study evaluated the efficacy of a newly introduced battery-powered toothbrush (Colgate Motion Toothbrush) relative to a manual toothbrush (Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush) for the removal of supragingival plaque. METHODOLOGY: This study assessed plaque removal via the comparison of pre- and post-brushing plaque levels. A total of 126 adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area reported to the clinical facility for a baseline (pre-brushing) plaque examination after having refrained from all oral hygiene procedures and chewing gum for 24 hours, and from eating, drinking or smoking for four hours. Subjects were entered into the study and stratified into two balanced groups based on their baseline plaque scores. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute under supervision with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available dentifrice, after which they were once again evaluated for supragingival plaque (post-brushing). RESULTS: All 126 subjects completed all aspects of the single-use clinical study. The subjects who used the Colgate Motion toothbrush exhibited a statistically significant 42.1% greater plaque reduction after a single tooth brushing than did those subjects who used the Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush. Relative to the pre-brushing baseline scores, the Colgate Motion toothbrush group exhibited a statistically significant 59.0% reduction in plaque removal. CONCLUSION: The results of this single-use, examiner-blind, clinical study support the conclusion that the battery-powered Colgate Motion toothbrush provides significantly greater efficacy for the removal of supragingival plaque than does the manual Oral-B Cross-Action toothbrush.