Comparison of oral hygiene status of adult individuals using charcoal toothbrushes and regular nylon toothbrushes in a Nigerian health facility.

Abstract

Background: Poor periodontal health is a global concern that affects the quality of life. The high prevalence of periodontal disease in adolescents, adults, and older individuals makes it a public health concern. Although studies have been reported on the efficacy of charcoal-infused versus Nylon toothbrushes on plaque control, there appears there is a lack of consensus among documented reports. The objective of the study was to compare the oral hygiene status of individuals using a charcoal-infused toothbrush and a regular nylon bristle toothbrush. Methods: This was a randomized clinical crossover study. This study recruited all consecutive participants who presented to the Department of Periodontics at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, for scaling and polishing, between the period of May 2022 to April 2023. Those with severe periodontal diseases and those who did not consent to participate were excluded from the study. Each participant made use of each toothbrush; Charcoal-infused (test group) versus Nylon toothbrush (control group). Participants were instructed to brush with either toothbrush and the same fluoride toothpaste, morning and evening after meals, for three minutes and with the modified Bass technique. They were recalled after three weeks for assessment and the PI, OHI-S, GI, and CPITN were recorded at baseline and after three weeks of the use of the toothbrushes. After six months of washout, the toothbrush was exchanged, and the same procedure and assessments were done. Data collected were Biodata (age, sex, marital status, occupation, education, and ethnic group) and records of PI, OHI-S, GI, and CPITN values. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. A level of significance was set at p<0.05. All analysis was done with SPSS software version 26 (IBM, Armonk, New York, US). Results: A total of twenty - two adults with a mean age of 32.82±12.19 years were recruited in this study. There was a statistically significant difference in the age distribution between the two toothbrush sequence categories (p=0.006). In the first period, the mean PI at baseline in participants who used Nylon Bristles was (1.36±0.51) reduced 3 weeks later to 1.00±0.01 (p=0.038). Participants who used Charcoal-infused toothbrushes had their baseline mean PI (1.91±1.22) reduced to 0.82±0.41 (p =0.01). During the second period, the baseline mean PI was 1.09±0.30 reduced to 0.45±0.52 (p=0.006) after the Nylon bristle toothbrush. While for the Charcoal-infused toothbrush, the mean baseline PI was (0.82±0.60) reduced to 0.27±0.47 over three weeks (p=0.002). The regular Nylon bristle toothbrush did not give a better OHI-S than the charcoal-infused toothbrush (p =0.806). Both toothbrushes impacted the plaque levels and oral hygiene status. However, there was no statistically significant difference in PI and OHI-S. (p =0.757, p =0.806, respectively) in comparison to either toothbrush after the three weeks of use. Conclusion: A charcoal-infused toothbrush was not better than the Nylon bristle toothbrush in reducing plaque levels. and improving the oral hygiene status of participants in this study over three weeks. Although, plaque levels were minimized with the use of both the charcoal-infused bristles and nylon bristle toothbrushes. Oral hygiene status was also improved by the use of both interventional tools.