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The efficacy of a novel toothbrush design.

The single-blind study compared a novel toothbrush design (Aquafresh Flex soft, medium, and firm bristle versions) to a widely-available, standard brush with soft bristles. Subjects (n = 32-35/group, mean age = 46 yrs) were randomly assigned to the four groups and instructed to maintain their normal oral hygiene routine. Safety, as well as plaque (Turesky et al. index as modified by Soparkar) and gingivitis (Loe-Silness index as modified by Lobene) were evaluated for the Ramfjord teeth at baseline, two weeks, and six weeks. At termination, all brands were considered to be safe. After two weeks, the mean plaque scores for each of the four groups were reduced significantly, although a difference between the control group and the test groups could not be demonstrated. Between two and six weeks, the mean plaque scores for the test brushes leveled off while the corresponding score for the control brush increased significantly (p = 0.02). The gingivitis scores showed a similar pattern. This pattern suggests more favorable user acceptance for the test brushes, which is consistent with information provided by the subjects on a post-study questionnaire. Presumably, this phenomenon is associated with the unique design of the test brushes.