Laboratory assessment of the Sensodyne Mikro Aktiv extra soft toothbrush and the Oral-B indicator soft toothbrush.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this laboratory study was to assess the Sensodyne Mikro Aktiv extra soft toothbrush, compared with the Oral-B Indicator soft toothbrush, for interproximal access efficacy (IAE). METHODS: Six toothbrushes of each product were tested four times, for a total of twenty-four tests on each toothbrush design. In the IAE assay, the tooth brushing technique involved independent evaluations of each toothbrush in a vertical or horizontal brushing motion, tooth shapes simulating anterior and posterior teeth, and a brushing weight of 250 g. The brushing apparatus was set to brush for 15 seconds at two strokes per second with a 50 mm stroke. All readings were measured with 3x magnification by a single investigator. RESULTS: The mean IAE value on anterior tooth shapes, with vertical and horizontal brushing, was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for the Sensodyne Mikro Aktiv toothbrush than for the Oral-B Indicator toothbrush. When the IAE values were combined to give an overall brushing average, the Sensodyne Mikro Aktiv toothbrush was significantly (p < 0.001) higher compared to the Oral-B Indicator toothbrush. CONCLUSION: The Sensodyne Mikro Aktiv toothbrush has demonstrated superiority to the Oral-B Indicator toothbrush for access into interproximal areas using this laboratory methodology.

Four-Month Assessment of the Dentrust and Oral-B P35 Toothbrushes in Orthodontic Patients.

The efficacy and safety of two manual toothbrushes (Dentrust and the Oral-B P35) were evaluated in orthodontic patients classified by their treating orthodontist as having established gingivitis. Fifty-seven healthy adolescent subjects, who were fully bonded and banded with fixed orthodontic appliances, were randomly assigned to use one of the two toothbrushes for the duration of the four-month study. The subjects were given instructions with their new assigned toothbrush and agreed to use only these products at home, twice a day between orthodontic visits. On evaluation days at one, two and four months the patients reported to the clinic having not brushed for 12-16 hours, and were evaluated for plaque area and gingivitis in this single blind study. Gingivitis scores decreased significantly in the Dentrust group from baseline to the conclusion of the study. There was no significant statistical decline in gingivitis in the Oral-B P35 group until the four-month evaluation. Overnight plaque formation scores were similar for both groups during the study. After brushing for a timed one-minute period, both toothbrushes removed significant plaque area throughout the study. On total plaque levels, the Dentrust group was significantly lower on after-toothbrushing plaque area mean scores compared to the Oral-B P35 group at two and four months. No side effects were reported or observed during the study attributed to the use of the assigned toothbrushes.

An assessment of Plax pre-brushing dental rinse used according to directions with supervised toothbrushing.

This study assessed the use of a pre-brushing rinse followed with toothbrushing with toothpaste in compliance with label directions. The treatment pre-brushing rinse was compared to a placebo pre-brushing rinse in a cross-over design. The study was started with 20 subjects. One subject developed a throat infection after the first session and was administered an antibiotic prescription and the data was not included in the analyses. No side effects or reactions to the solutions were observed or reported during or following the study. At baseline, the two groups were found to have similar plaque area scores on buccal, lingual, and total tooth surfaces. After rinsing with the pre-brushing solution (Plax) and brushing with an American Dental Association-approved toothbrush and a commercially-available fluoride toothpaste, there was significantly less plaque area when compared to the same regimen with the placebo pre-brushing rinse. For both buccal and lingual plaque area scores the differences were statistically significant at the p less than .05 level favoring Plax. On all surfaces the subjects removed significant amounts of plaque area following rinsing and brushing with toothpaste compared to their baseline scores.

The marketing of instructional materials to health practitioners.

With the increasing costs of education, for both practitioners and academic health centers, the time for a different format for continuing education has arrived. An educational resource department is the logical center to the development and management of a project as described in this paper. The educational resource department, the academic health center, and the practitioners can all benefit from turning attention outside academic walls.