Comparison of 2 toothbrushing methods for efficacy in supragingival plaque removal. The Toothpick method and the Bass method

Plaque removing efficacy was compared between a new toothbrushing method named the Toothpick method and the Bass method. 20 male university dental students participated in the study, which consisted of 2 experiments. Prior to each experiment, all subjects were asked to abstain from all oral hygiene procedures for 48 h. In Exp. I, plaque-removing efficacy was assessed after each participant's mouth had been professionally brushed by a dentist. In this experiment, 2 quadrants were brushed professionally using the Toothpick method, and the remaining 2 quadrants were brushed using the Bass method. The brushing time amounted to a total of 2 min per mouth. In Exp. II, the subjects brushed their own teeth after receiving toothbrushing instruction. A blind examiner assessed dental plaque using a modification of the Quigley and Hein index at 6 sites around each tooth. Toothbrushing using the Toothpick method was found to remove significantly more plaque from proximal tooth surfaces than brushing using the Bass method.