RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of dental plaque removal between a new sonic toothbrush and a manual toothbrush. METHODS: In total, 75 healthy dental students participated in this randomized double-blind crossover clinical trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (manual or sonic toothbrush) and underwent a single toothbrushing exercise. Seven days after, patients were asked to repeat the same procedure with the other toothbrush. Plaque scores were recorded before and after brushing. RESULTS: A significant mean reduction in the full-mouth plaque index was observed after the use of both type of brushes: 46.2% ± 0.28% (p = 0.000) and 50.5% ± 0.24% (p = 0.000) for the manual and sonic toothbrush, respectively. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two types of brushes (p = 0.277). Regarding plaque reduction on the distinct tooth surfaces, differences between the groups reached statistical significance in favour of the sonic toothbrush only on the buccal sites (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Both devices lead to similar plaque score reduction after a single tooth brushing.
