Comparative Analysis of the Efficacy of Dental Plaque Removal Between Manual and Powered Toothbrushes in Individuals With Syndactyly

Objective: To compare the efficacy of dental plaque removal between manual and powered toothbrushes in individuals with syndactyly. Material and methods: Seventeen patients with Apert syndrome aged 11 to 30 years. The efficacy of toothbrushing was evaluated by the O'Leary plaque index at 2 periods: initial (before toothbrushing) and final (immediately after toothbrushing), using manual toothbrush (Colgate Twister) and powered toothbrush (Colgate Actibrush). Means were compared by the ANOVA test at a significance level of 5%. Results: The reduction in the plaque index was different for each type of toothbrush (interaction factor between manual and powered toothbrushes and initial and final periods, P = 0.026). The powered toothbrush provided greater reduction of dental plaque than the manual toothbrush. Conclusion: In individuals with syndactyly, both manual and powered toothbrushes allowed significant plaque reduction on tooth surfaces; however, the powered toothbrush exhibited greater efficacy of plaque removal compared with the manual toothbrush. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ana Lúcia Pompéia Fraga de Almeida, PhD, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Avenue Octávio Pinheiro Brisola, 9-75 Vila Universitária, Bauru, São Paulo, CEP: 17012-901, Brazil; E-mail: analmeida@usp.br Received 22 December, 2017 Accepted 28 May, 2018 The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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