Background. Although most patients with implants have lost their natural teeth because of poor oral hygiene, limited data exist to guide practitioners in their recommendations of home-care regimens for their patients’ endosseous dental implants and maintenance of peri-implant soft-tissue health. The authors conducted a study to compare the home-care effectiveness of a counter-rotational powered toothbrush with that of conventional home-care regimens.
Methods. Before starting the six-year study, the authors trained 85 clinical investigators at 32 dental research centers across the United States in gathering periodontal data. Data for 2,966 implants were entered into a centralized database. Outcomes were derived from 24-month observations of a subset of the implants studied.
Results. Repeated-measures analysis of the toothbrushing methods used on 2,966 implants showed that the counter-rotational powered toothbrush removed plaque significantly better than manual methods (P < .0001 Wald statistic) from all implant surfaces and at all recall intervals up to 24 months. Similar results were demonstrated for the gingival index.
Conclusions. The counter-rotational powered brush appears to be well-suited for home-care regimens aimed at maintaining optimal peri-implant soft-tissue health in patients with dental implants.
Clinical Implications. The importance of maintaining the health of the peri-implant tissues is well-recognized by the dental profession. The counter-rotational powered toothbrush is an effective tool in meeting the oral hygiene challenges associated with implant prosthesis maintenance.
