This review of the level of toothbrush contamination and the factors affecting contamination in the general population included 15 studies. The findings show that toothbrush contamination occurs after first use and rises with continuing use. However, there is little evidence of significant adverse events from current practices.
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This review comparing the effectiveness of a chewable toothbrush (CTB) with a manual toothbrush (MTB) in terms of plaque reduction included 7 RCTs. While no significant differences were found between CTB and MTB the availabel studies were small of short duration and of very low certainty.
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This review comparing the clinical performance of flossing before or after toothbrushing included two small RCTs involving a total of 60 patients. The findings suggest no difference with the use of floss before or after toothbrushing however the quality of the evidence is limited.
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This review investigating the relationship between drug use (methamphetamines, heroin, opiates, cocaine, cannabis and crack) and oral health includes 10 observational studies showing a higher risk of caries.
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Thi Cochrane review evaluateingthe effectiveness of interdental cleaning devices used at home, in addition to toothbrushing, compared with toothbrushing alone, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases, caries, and plaque includes 35 RCTs providing low to very low certainty evidence that floss or interdental brushes in addition to toothbrushing may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both.
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This review of the effect of a regular fluoride dentifrice compared to water or saline on dental plaque inhibition using the 4-day non-brushing model included 9 studies and demonstrated a weak weak inhibitory effect on plaque regrowth with toothpaste use.
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This review of oral health status in people with intellectual disabilities included 39 studies. Higher level of dental plaque, worse gingival status, and fewer decayed and filled permanent teeth were seen than in patients without intellectual disabilities.
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This review of the efficacy of brushing with and without a toothpaste for plaque removal identified 10 trials involving a total of 444 patients. While the results suggest no differences other reviews have demonstrated clear oral health benefits from brushing with toothpaste.
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This review of probiotics use for caries and periodontal disease management identified 50 studies. Most focused on surrogate outcomes (bacterial counts) and the overall quality of the evidence supporting probiotic therapy was graded as very low for all outcomes.
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