Observational studyPloS one2022
A naturalistic study of brushing patterns using powered toothbrushes.
Observational study in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring Toothbrushing Duration Among Adults: A Systematic Review.International journal of dental hygiene · 2026Pooled it
- Exploring brushing and questionnaire data from a feasibility randomised control trial of a school-based smart, connected toothbrushing program.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Results of objective brushing data recorded from a powered toothbrush used by elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment related to values for oral health.Clinical oral investigations · 2023Trial
- "You should brush your teeth better": a randomized controlled trial comparing best-possible versus as-usual toothbrushing.BMC oral health · 2023Trial
- Comparative Analysis of Plaque Removal and Wear between Electric-Mechanical and Bioelectric Toothbrushes.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Optimizing an adaptive digital oral health intervention for promoting oral self-care behaviors: Micro-randomized trial protocol.Contemporary clinical trials · 2024Article
- Delivery of biologics: Topical administration.Biomaterials · 2023Review
- A Study on the Biofilm Removal Efficacy of a Bioelectric Toothbrush.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Fewer Children in Families Associated with Lower Odds of Early Childhood Caries: A Sample from Three Countries.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Preventing burnout and substance use disorder among healthcare professionals through breathing exercises, emotion identification, and writing activities.Journal of interprofessional education & practice · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Dental caries and periodontal disease are very common chronic diseases closely linked to inadequate removal of dental plaque. Powered toothbrushes are viewed as more effective at removing plaque; however, the conflicting evidence and considerable unexplained heterogeneity in their clinical outcomes does not corroborate the relative merits of powered tooth brushing. To explain the heterogeneity of brushing patterns with powered toothbrushes, we conducted a observational study of tooth brushing practices of 12 participants in their naturalistic setting. Integrated brush sensors and a digital data collection platform allowed unobtrusive and accurate capture of habitual brushing patterns. Annotated brushing data from 10 sessions per participant was chosen for scrutiny of brushing patterns. Analysis of brushing patterns from the total 120 sessions revealed substantial between- and within-participant variability in brushing patterns and efficiency. Most participants (91.67%) brushed for less than the generally prescribed two minutes; individual participants were also inconsistent in brushing duration across sessions. The time devoted to brushing different dental regions was also quite unequal. Participants generally brushed their buccal tooth surfaces more than twice as long as the occlusal (2.18 times longer (95% CI 1.42, 3.35; p < 0.001)) and lingual surfaces (2.22 times longer (95% CI 1.62, 3.10; p < 0.001); the lingual surfaces of the maxillary molars were often neglected (p < 0.001). Participants also varied in the epochs of excessive brushing pressure and the regions to which they were applied. In general, the occlusal surfaces were more likely to be brushed with excessive pressure (95% CI 0.10, 0.98; p = 0.015). Our study reveals that users of powered toothbrushes vary substantially in their use of the toothbrushes and diverge from recommended brushing practices. The inconsistent brushing patterns, between and within individuals, can affect effective plaque removal. Our findings underscore the limited uptake of generic oral self-care recommendations and emphasize the need for personalized brushing recommendations that derive from the objective sensor data provided by powered toothbrushes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.