Evaluation of effectiveness of vacuum oral cleaner developed for patients with limited mobility

Abstract

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to compare the plaque removal effects of vacuum oral cleaner developed for the patients with limited mobility with those of manual toothbrushes and high pressure injection oral cleaner (dental water jet). Meterials and methods : Thirty human subjects were measured with Patient Hygiene Performance index (PHP index) and OLeary index before and after the use of toothbrush, high pressure injection oral cleaner and vacuum oral cleaner. These three different oral hygiene methods were conducted with seven-day intermittence. Then the statistical analysis was carried out to define plaque removal rate of three different oral hygiene methods ( = 0.05). Results : According to the efficacy analysis of plaque removal before and after the oral cleaning using each of three methods, significant reduction in plaque after the treatment compared to the previous state when using toothbrush, high pressure injection oral cleaner, and vacuum oral cleaner was observed (P < 0.001). PHP index of tooth brushing was higher than that of the high pressure injection oral cleaner, while PHP index of vacuum oral cleaner did not show significant difference from either of the other two methods. There was no significance difference in OLeary index among the three methods. Conclusion : Effect of plaque removal using the vacuum oral cleaner is comparable to that of manual tooth brush or high pressure injection oral cleaner, so it will be helpful for self-oral hygiene care of the patients with limited mobility.