Oral Health Outcomes

While the thoroughness of brushing is dependent on the nature of the user, power brushes may help simplify the brushing process. The individual will still need to prop- erly angle the brush in the mouth, but once in place, the brush head motion will do all the work. Since a power brush generates more strokes per minute than a manual brush, the individual may remove more biofilm in the same amount of brushing time.3

Because there are different types of units available, be sure to review the manufacturer’s complete instruction guide PRIOR to recommending or demonstrating the product. Recommending and instructing is easier if you have read all instructions and tried the product yourself.

A toothbrush is the most frequently used self-care device. Yet the ability to effectively remove biofilm with a tooth- brush varies from person to person. For the last several years, power toothbrushes have become an integral rec- ommendation to improve biofilm control. There is a growing body of evidence on products currently available, which show when compared to a manual toothbrush, many power toothbrushes are:1,2,3,4,6,10,11,12

•Superior at removing biofilm

•Effective at reducing gingivitis

•Likely to enhance stain removal

•As safe as a manual brush for soft and hard tissue

•Well-liked and even preferred by individuals

Waterpik® Power Toothbrushes

Waterpik Technologies entered the power toothbrush market more than thirty years ago. From the original Touch-Tronic®toothbrush to today’s SynchroSonic™ Plus advanced action sonic plaque removal system, Waterpik® rechargeable power brushes remove biofilm and reduce bleeding better than a manual toothbrush.15,16,18

Vibe® Electric Toothbrush

The Vibe® toothbrush is quiet and small enough to take everywhere. See Figure 2. Up to 15,000 brush strokes per minute clean better than a manual toothbrush.19

Features include:

Figure 2

•Gentle side-to-side vibrating brushing action

•Ergonomically designed for ease and comfort

•Disposable, like a manual brush. No need to replace batter- ies or brush heads

•Internal battery lasts up to six months

•Includes a handy travel brush cover

•Available in four colors

SenSonic® High
Performance Sonic Plaque Remover
The SenSonic® tooth-
					Figure 3
brush is a brush with

state-of-the-art			sonic
technology		producing
30,000	gentle		brush
strokes per		minute. See
Figure 3. It has a soft,
compact,		contoured
brush head design, elec-
tronic feedback			system
that automatically adjusts
speed to	maintain peak
performance, a			power
indicator	light,		and	a
dishwasher		safe,	easy	to
clean storage carousel.
Several	clinical		trials

have been conducted on the SenSonic® toothbrush including studies that show its ability to alter bacteria, reduce biofilm, stain, and gingivitis, and equivalency to the Sonicare® toothbrush.13,14,15,16,17

Ability to alter bacteria

•Blanco and co-workers showed that exposure to the sonic frequency generated by the SenSonic® toothbrush severely disrupted the structural integrity of the periodontal pathogen, T denticola (spirochetes).13