Dental hygienists' evaluation of the usability research study of the Colgate ProClinical A1500 electric toothbrush.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the user experiences among patients of a new electric toothbrush vs. a manual toothbrush. METHODS: Five dental hygienists were selected to review videotapes demonstrating patient use of their manual toothbrush and the Colgate ProClinical A1500 electric toothbrush. A total of 14 users were videotaped during the three-week duration of this observational study. The dental hygienists were asked to review four assigned user videotapes and then complete a four-page questionnaire sheet for each of them. Each patient participant was reviewed by at least two dental hygienists. RESULTS: The results provide an understanding that there may be differences in the length of time that patients brush their teeth with their manual toothbrush vs. this electric toothbrush. The users of the electric toothbrush appeared to brush in a more concentrated and focused tooth brushing pattern vs. the manual brush. The users did become accustomed to using this electric toothbrush over time and felt an improvement in cleaning efficacy with the product. The observations from the five dental hygienists were consistent with the results of a previously published usability study. CONCLUSION: The Colgate ProClinical A1500 electric toothbrush, relative to a manual toothbrush, provided an improved brushing experience for the fourteen users whose brushing techniques were evaluated by five dental hygienists who reviewed their videotapes from the usability study.