Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40200678›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of dental hygiene2025

Plaque scores after 1 or 2 minutes of toothbrushing A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Marion T Seuntjens, Tim M J A Thomassen, Fridus G A Van der Weijden, Dagmar Else Slot

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of dental hygiene, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Exploring Toothbrushing Duration Among Adults: A Systematic Review.International journal of dental hygiene · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Marion T SeuntjensDepartment of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1718-7695
Tim M J A ThomassenDepartment of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2633-3236
Fridus G A Van der WeijdenDepartment of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5075-8384
Dagmar Else SlotDepartment of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7234-0037

Funding

Regular academic appointments of Van der Weijden, Thomassen and Slot at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo evaluate the difference in plaque score reduction achieved by 1 and 2 min of toothbrushing, based on data from single brushing exercises.

methodsMEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane-CENTRAL databases and the first five pages of Google Scholar were searched for randomised controlled trials. Extracted data were summarised in a descriptive and, if possible, a meta-analysis using standardised mean difference (SMD). Separate analyses were performed for manual (MTB) and powered (PTB) toothbrushes.

resultsBased on the selection criteria, the search identified five unique eligible publications providing 16 comparisons. For both toothbrush types, 2 min of brushing resulted in a significantly higher plaque score reduction. The SMD of 1 versus 2 min of brushing using MTB was 0.69 [95% CI: 0.06, 1.33] (p = 0.03) can be interpreted as a medium size effect and the SMD of using a PTB was 0.47 [95% CI: 0.28, 0.66], (p < 0.00001) interpreted as a small size effect.

conclusionWith respect to plaque scores, based on single brushing exercises, there is moderate certainty for the recommendation to brush for 2 min over 1 min.

Indexed as

Dental PlaqueDental Plaque IndexToothbrushingHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTime Factorsbrushing exercisedurationminutesplaquesingle‐usetoothbrush

Identifiers

PMID40200678
PMCPMC12371311

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.