An Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Curved Bristle and Conventional Toothbrush. A Comparative Clinical Study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the plaque-removing ability of a curved bristle toothbrush compared to a conventional, straight bristle, manual toothbrush. METHODS: The study group consisted of 100 volunteers 16 to 24 years of age from a professional engineering college. A four-week post-prophylaxis, parallel, longitudinal, double-blind clinical study was conducted; all volunteers were instructed in specific oral hygiene techniques. Plaque was assessed at baseline and at the end of 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks using the Quigley-Hein plaque index after disclosing with erythrosin red. Gingival status was assessed at baseline and at the end of 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks by using the gingival index of Löe and Silness. RESULTS: Comparative assessment showed a mean of 2.11 +/- 0.086 mm for group 1 and 2.37 +/- 0.216 mm for group 2, indicating a significant difference between the plaque-removing efficacy of the curved bristle and straight bristle toothbrush. CONCLUSIONS: The curved bristle toothbrush was significantly more effective in removing plaque overall than the conventional toothbrush.