Dry brushing: Does it improve plaque removal? A secondary analysis

• Main Authors: Hennequin-Hoenderdos, N.L (Author), Slot, D.E (Author), van der Sluijs, E. (Author), van der Weijden, G.A (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Inc. 2018
• Subjects: adult; Adult; dental plaque; Dental Plaque; devices; dry toothbrush; female; Female; human; Humans; male; Male; manual toothbrush; prewetted toothbrush; procedures; secondary analysis; time factor; Time Factors; tooth brushing; tooth plaque; Toothbrushing; water; Water; wettability; Wettability; young adult; Young Adult
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Objective: This article is a secondary analysis comparing the effects on plaque removal of brushing with a dry toothbrush and brushing with a prewetted toothbrush. Methods: The participants had been included in two previous experiments involving single-brushing exercises. The 46 non-dental participants were systemically healthy and ≥18 years of age. In the first experiment, the control intervention was brushing with a prewetted toothbrush, while during the second experiment it was brushing with a dry toothbrush. Both experiments scored plaque before and after the brushing exercises and assessed participants’ perception. The data of these two previous experiments were compared in this secondary analysis. Results: Plaque score reduction following brushing with a dry toothbrush was 58%, while with a prewetted toothbrush, it was 57%. The mean plaque index score reduction of 0.08 between a dry and a prewetted toothbrush was not significant (P =.096). Prewetting the participants’ toothbrush had no influence on the perception of toothbrush filament stiffness (P =.410) nor on the perception of cleaning capability (P =.449). In both experiments, brushing without dentifrice was judged to be unpleasant. Conclusion: On average, following a 2-minute brushing exercise, plaque scored were reduced by 57% or more. Dry brushing did not contribute significantly to toothbrush efficacy. The participants did not find that prewetting a toothbrush influenced the cleaning capability and filament stiffness. © 2018 The Authors. International Journal of Dental Hygiene Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd