Toothbrush Wear and Its Effect on Subgingival Inflammation Using Two Different Brushing Techniques

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Gingival Inflammation

In brief

Toothbrush plaque removal, along with interproximal flossing, helps to maintain the oral cavity free from periodontal diseases and dental caries. Although techniques such as the Bass Technique (BT), the Modified Bass Technique (MBT) and the Modified Stillman Technique (MST) are taught to dental students, dental hygiene students, and dental assistants, there is little evidence to discern which technique is more effective in reducing or preventing gingival inflammation. At Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM), a modification of the Bass intrasulcular technique is advocated to many students. We call this modification of the Bass technique a Stationary Bristle Technique (SBT), which is an intrasulcular technique that maintains the toothbrush bristle ends essentially stationary on the tooth cervically and in the gingival crevice. In this study, half of the participants were taught the Stationary Bristle Technique Group, while the other half were not be provided with instructions, but asked to brush as normal (non-interventional group) throughout the duration of the study.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03158350

Run by

Tufts University

People needed

48

Starts

2015-08-03

Expected to finish

2016-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2019-03-12

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Subjects must be at least 18 years of age
• Subjects must have at least 20 teeth
• Subjects must have had a professional dental prophylaxis done in the 3 months prior to the beginning of the study
• Subjects exhibiting 10% or greater BoP at the baseline examination

You may not qualify if…

• Subjects wearing fixed orthodontic appliances (including lingual retainers or Invisalign®)
• Subjects who smoke (=more than 0 cigarettes a day)
• Subjects who received antibiotic treatment during the month prior to the beginning of the study
• Subjects who have cervical probing depth (PD) greater than 3mm
• Subjects diagnosed with periodontal disease at any site as defined bleeding on probing with cervical probing depths greater than 3 mm and loss of cervical attachment.
• Subjects who are currently pregnant (self-report).

Where it is running

• Tufts University School of Dental Medicine — Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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