Ionic vs Manual Toothbrushes: Effect on Plaque and Oral Hygiene Status in Children

Abstract

Introduction: The foundation for healthy permanent teeth in children and teenagers is laid during the first few years of life. Toothbrushing should be presented as a habit. A wide array of toothbrushes is available in the market, which differ in size, design, length, hardness, arrangement of bristles. This present clinical study is undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of ionic toothbrush on oral hygiene status and plaque removal. Materials and methods: A total of 30 children aged 6 years to 12 years were selected in this study. The children were divided into two groups, 15 children were given HyG ionic toothbrush, were instructed how to use product according to manufacturer’s instructions, 15 children were assigned to use manual toothbrush, instructed to brush their teeth in usual manner. All subjects used the same commercially available dentifrice throughout the study. Results: The results were evaluated at each visit day 0, day 15 and day 30 following 12–18 hours of no oral hygiene. The subjects brushed their teeth twice daily for 1 minute under supervision. The result showed that there was significant difference in all the mean values in all the parameters. It may be concluded from the present study that though the ionic toothbrush was insignificantly superior to the manual toothbrush, both the toothbrushes are clinically effective in removing plaque and improving the gingival conditions.