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Comparison between Interdental Brush and Dental Floss for Controlling Interproximal Biofilm in Teeth and Implants

Mariana Luz, Maria Fátima Guarizo Klingbeil, Paulo Sérgio Gomes Henriques and Hugo Roberto Lewgoy

Comparison between Interdental Brush and Dental Floss for Controlling Interproximal Biofilm in Teeth and Implants

The presence of dental biofilm is the primary etiological factor in the development of periodontal disease. Dental floss and interdental brushes as adjuncts to dental hygiene provides a greater benefit for disrupting the oral biofilm in the interproximal areas. To compare the use of an interdental brush and dental floss for controlling the dental biofilm around teeth and implants, twelve volunteers (men and women) aged 18 to 50 years were randomly selected. During the first thirty days, patients used the conventional Bass method of brushing associated with cleaning the interproximal space only with dental tape. At the end of this month, a new plaque index was measured. At the beginning of the second month, the patients were instructed to use conventional brushing, and then only interproximal cleaning with interdental. At the end of this second month, a new plaque index was measured. The analysis of variance for randomized blocks revealed a significant difference in the effectiveness of the two cleaning methods used for controlling the interproximal biofilm (p=0.023), showing that the plaque index was significantly lower (39.6%) with the interdental brush than when dental floss was used (58.3%).We concluded that, compared with using dental floss, interdental brushes is more effective at controlling the interproximal dental biofilm around teeth and implants.