The University of Greifswald, Germany conducted an 11-year long study on the effectiveness of powered toothbrushes and have confirmed that powered toothbrushes are more effective than manual toothbrushes in reducing gum disease, clinical attachment loss (the periodontal support that has been destroyed around a tooth) and tooth retention. Dr. Nigel Carter OBE, of the British Oral Health Foundation, said that “Health experts have been speaking about the benefits of electric toothbrushes for many years. This latest piece of evidence is one of the strongest and clearest yet – electric toothbrushes are better for our oral health. Electric toothbrushes, especially those with heads that rotate in both directions, or ‘oscillating’ heads, are really effective at removing plaque. This helps keep tooth decay and gum disease at bay.”
Study Aims –
- Long term effects of power toothbrush usage on periodontal health in terms of probing depths, and clinical attachment loss
- Long term effects of power toothbrush usage on coronal cavities experience using decayed, missed and filled surfaces, and decayed and filled surface scores
- Long term effects of number of teeth present using the 11-year data from a representative population study of health.
Global Oral Health –
- Cavities and Periodontitis, typically due to an accumulation of bacterial plaque on teeth are responsible for approximately 60% of tooth loss globally. What’s more, they are the 2 most common dental diseases worldwide.
Results –
- The study’s main findings suggest that over an 11-year period, power toothbrushes reduced the progression of probing depths and clinical attachment loss in the study participants
- As a result, participants retained more teeth over the course of the study
Power toothbrushes have been proven to be an effective preventative tool in maintaining oral hygiene, therefore dental practitioners might recommend its usage. The Canadian Dental Association has validated the Oral-B Professional Care 5000 with Smart Guide Power Brush and the Oral-B Professional Care 3000 brush to be recommended by dentists and used by the general public.
*Based on article by the CDA
*Based on study done at the University of Greifswald, Germany