Effectiveness of Ortho-Buddy on Plaque Control in Orthodontic Patients

The Ortho-Buddy is a toothbrush adjunct designed to help clean around fixed orthodontic appliances, where plaque accumulation can be difficult to control with a conventional toothbrush alone. This randomized clinical trial compared the immediate plaque-removal effectiveness of three supervised brushing approaches in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances.

Participants were assigned to one of three groups: standard toothbrush alone, standard toothbrush followed by Ortho-Buddy, or Ortho-Buddy alone. Dental plaque was disclosed and scored before brushing and again immediately after a 2-minute supervised brushing session using the assigned method.

Plaque was assessed using the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index. The study was conducted at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine orthodontic clinic during a single study visit.

That gives useful context without repeating the exact outcome measures or arm descriptions that you will enter elsewhere. Your IRB describes the study as a one-visit pilot evaluating Ortho-Buddy for oral hygiene in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances.

Inclusion criteria

• Full complement of permanent teeth from first molar to first molar
• Presence of full fixed orthodontic appliances on both arches for at least two weeks
• Patients who had undergone premolar extractions for orthodontic purposes were eligible

Exclusion criteria

• Poor systemic health
• Professional dental cleaning or scaling within two weeks before the study
• Documented poor oral hygiene
• History of tobacco use
• Presence of a heart murmur
• History of rheumatic fever
• Pregnancy
• Current chronic antibiotic therapy or antibiotic use within one month before the study
• Chronic NSAID use
• Chronic steroid use