Manual v powered toothbrushing in adolescent orthodontic patients – trial

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The aim of this randomised trial was to compare the efficacy of a powered versus manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingival health in participants undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in respect of both the short term and long term. The findings showed no differences between the brush types at any time points ( 1, 6 or 12 months).

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How clean is your toothbrush?

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This review of the level of toothbrush contamination and the factors affecting contamination in the general population included 15 studies. The findings show that toothbrush contamination occurs after first use and rises with continuing use. However, there is little evidence of significant adverse events from current practices.

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Is a chewable toothbrush effective in children?

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This review comparing the effectiveness of a chewable toothbrush (CTB) with a manual toothbrush (MTB) in terms of plaque reduction included 7 RCTs. While no significant differences were found between CTB and MTB the availabel studies were small of short duration and of very low certainty.

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Oral health interventions in children and adolescents with special needs

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Carly Ross takes a look at this review of different oral health education and promotion interventions for children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Eighteen studies were included but they mainly of very low to low certainty.

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Powered toothbrushes for patients undergoing fixed orthodontic appliance treatment?

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This review of the effect of powered and manual toothbrushes on oral health during fixed applinace orthodontic treatment included 7 RCTs. The findings suggest no diference between the toothbrush types. However the quality of the evidence is low and the studies are of short duration.

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Interdental cleaning aids

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This network meta-analysis of the comparative efficacy of interproximal oral hygiene aids included 22 RCTs and suggests that interdental brushes and water-jets ranked highest for the reduction of gingival bleeding. Although the quality of the available evidence is limited.

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Powered toothbrushes for orthodontic patients

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This review of powered toothbrushes for periodontal health in orthodontic patients included 9 small RCTs. A small statistically significant benefit was noted in short term use.

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Toothbrushing: Are three heads better than one?

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This review of the effectiveness of 3-headed toothbrushes included 15 studies describing 18 comparisons. The quality of the available evidence was low an no differences were seen with self-performed brushing but a benefit was suggested for plaque removal for care-dependent individuals.

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Toothbrushing, plaque removal and gingivitis

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The aim of this review was to appraise and summarise systematic reviews of the efficacy and safety of available homecare toothbrush regimens for mechanical plaque removal on plaque and gingivitis in adults. Ten systematic reviews were included confirming that toothbrushing is effective in reducing levels of dental plaque.

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Toothbrushing: little data on association with gingival recession

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This review considered the association between toothbrushing and gingival recession and non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). 19 studies were included a majority (13) were cross-sectional and they provide limited data to support or refute the associations.

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