The impact of toothbrush filament design on gingival health during healing. A randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded clinical trial

Objectives. The primary objective of the study was to test toothbrushes with different types of filaments (conical vs. rounded) with respect to cause gingival abrasion after surgical intervention of wisdom teeth. A secondary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of plaque removal and the improvement of gingival conditions to alleviate wound healing and to avoid gingivitis. Methods. One hundred and seventy-three healthy subjects with surgical intervention of wisdom teeth participated in a randomized, single blind study and were randomly allocated to control group (standard ADA reference toothbrush) or test group (meridol® special toothbrush with conical filaments). Clinical examinations included gingival abrasion, plaque index and gingival index, and were conducted at baseline, 7 and 28 days. Results. For the gingival abrasion the mean number of lesions of all sizes was after 28 days significantly lower in the test group (p-value