Comparison of the effectiveness between power toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes for oral health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Power toothbrushes is considered an effective tool for maintaining oral health; however, its efficacy as compared to manual toothbrushes is still not completely clarified. This article aims to evaluate the efficacy of power toothbrushes compared with the manual toothbrushes in terms of plaque, gingivitis and bleeding reduction.Methods: An electronic search was performed on PUBMED, Web of Science, Wiley and Research Gate. Studies comparing the effectiveness of plaque, gingivitis and bleeding reduction between power and manual toothbrushes were included. Results and effect sizes analysis are presented as standard mean difference (SMD), and subgroup analysis stratified by mode of action of the power toothbrush was performed. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane assessment tool.Results: A total of 21 randomized clinical studies were included. Power toothbrushes were significantly more effective in reducing plaque index (26 trials: SMD = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.58 to 1.14, I2 = 91.5%, p < .0001), gingival index (14 trials: SMD = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.82, I2 = 88.7%, p < .0001), and bleeding index (11 trials: SMD = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.43 to 1.40, I2 = 91.8%, p < .0001) compared with the manual toothbrushes, except that there was no significant differences between the oscillating-rotating toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes regarding gingivitis reduction (7 trials: SMD = 0.07, 95% CI: -0.20 to 0.33, I2 = 57.2%, p = .03).Conclusions: Power toothbrushes is more effective in reducing dental plaque, gingivitis and bleeding compared with the manual toothbrush.