The Efficacy of Plaque Control by Various Toothbrushing Techniques-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

摘要

Efficient removal of dental plaque plays a key role in the maintenance of oral health. Dental Plaque is responsible for the occurrence of dental caries and periodontal diseases.Aim: To compare the various toothbrushing methods in effective removal of plaque.Materials and Methods: Systematic review with meta-analysis methodology developed by Cochrane Corporation was used in this review. Computerised searches Medline, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and the Google Scholar for randomised controlled trials were searched up to May 2017 to identify appropriate studies. Information regarding methods, participants, interventions, outcome measures and results were independently extracted, in duplicate. A meta-analysis was attempted on two trials. The test group was using ?modified Bass technique? and the control group was using ?horizontal scrub technique? in both the selected trials. Standard Mean Deviation (SMD) was calculated using random-effects models.Results: In total, 664 unique papers were found, of which seven met the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis of two studies showed that the modified Bass technique provided significantly better plaque control (SMD=-1.22, p<0.001) as compared to the horizontal scrub technique.Conclusion: Inadequate data, but with a low risk of bias, showed that the modified Bass technique/ Bass technique was more effective in the efficient plaque removal compared to the other toothbrushing techniques.