Using an Evidence-based Approach to Making Patient Recommendations for Power Toothbrushes
Course Number: 648
Course Contents
Cleaning Technology Modalities
In addition to their power source, power toothbrushes differ in their cleaning technology mechanisms and can be categorized by the manner in which the brush head moves. Table 1 summarizes the various types of motion and modes of action in electric brush movements.
Table 1. Comparison of Power Toothbrush Technologies.
| Mode of Action | Brush Head Motion | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Oscillating-Rotating | Brush head rotates in one direction and then the other. Does not rotate in full circle. | Oral-B Vitality |
| Oscillating-Rotating Pulsating | Entire brush head oscillates, rotates, and pulsates. | Oral-B Professional Care Series Oral-B Smart Series Oral-B GENIUS |
| Oscillating-Rotating with Micro-vibrations | Brush head oscillation rotation is synchronized with micro-vibrations, a novel, bristle-driven, vertical movement. | Oral-B iO |
| Side-to-side (sonic) | Brush head moves laterally in a side-to-side motion. | Philips Sonicare |
| Multi-directional | Brush sweeps from side-to-side and pulsates. | Colgate ProClinical |
| Counter-Oscillation | Adjacent tufts rotate in opposite directions to each other. | InterplakD |
| Circular/Rotary | Entire brush head rotates in a full circle moving in one direction only. | Rotadent® Rotadent.com Den-Mat Holdings, LLC@2018 |
| Ultrasonic | Uses a very high frequency of vibration to remove plaque and bacteria from the teeth. Does not need physical motion. Bristles vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies of 1.6MHz or 192,000,000 movements per minute | Megasonex or Emmi-Dent Toothbrushes |
| Ionic | Similar to a manual toothbrush. Maintain contact with the metal band on the brush which imparts an electrical charge to the tooth’s surface. | IONICKISS Dyna-Dental Systems |
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