Journal of Dentistry

Evaluation of the Efficacy of U-Shaped Toothbrushes in Removing Dental Plaque: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Donya Shafiei 1
Fatemeh Naderi 2
arezoo Rahimzamani 3
Ahmad Karami 4

1 Private Dentist, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

3 Dept. of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

4 Dept. of Psychiatric, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Science, Shahrekord, Iran.

10.30476/dentjods.2026.108157.2803
Abstract
Background: Effective removal of plaque depends not only on the correct brushing technique but also on the type of toothbrush used.
Purpose: This clinical trial was designed to clinically compare the U-shaped manual toothbrush and the regular toothbrush in reducing microbial plaque in children aged 5–7 years.
Materials and Method:  This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on the one hundred children aged 5–7 years. The participants were asked not to brush their teeth for 24 hours. The amount of plaque accumulation was assessed by two blinded examiners using the plaque index at two-time intervals. Initially, the baseline plaque index was recorded (T1). The participants were randomly divided into two groups (n=50). The children in the first group were taught the correct use of the U-shaped toothbrush, while participants in the second group were taught the horizontal scrub technique. The children in both groups brushed their teeth with the same toothpaste for two minutes, after which the plaque index was recorded (T2).
Results: In both groups, the mean plaque index after using the toothbrush decreased compared to baseline (p Value<0.05). The reduction in the mean plaque index in the U-shaped toothbrush group was significantly greater than that in the regular toothbrush group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: When children brushed their teeth independently, the U-shaped toothbrush was more effective than the regular toothbrush in removing dental plaque.

Keywords

Dental plaque
Dental plaque index
Toothbrushing
Journal of Dentistry

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 May 2026

  • Receive Date 16 August 2025
  • Revise Date 06 January 2026
  • Accept Date 02 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 06 May 2026
  • Publish Date 06 May 2026

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